acid A compound containing hydrogen which can compound with a base to form salts

adaptation A structural or behavioral change in an organism that helps it adjust to its environment

air pressure The force being exerted on a point on the earth's surface by the mass of atmosphere above it

annual subsistence cycle The yearly round of human activities required to obtain food

arid Dry, having little rainfall, desert climate

artifact Any object made or used by humans

Basin and Range Province A geographic region characterized by parallel mountain ranges separated by flat valley floors which extends from the Wasatch Front in Utah to the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, and from Mexico north to Oregon and central Idaho

belt transect A technique used to obtain a representative sample of a community while using a small survey area

bench Flat tracts of land, or terraces, formed by wave action on the shoreline of Lake Bonneville or the Great Salt Lake when the lake level remain constant for a period of time

branching pattern The arrangement of leaves along a twig; may be alternate, arranged singly along the twig, or opposite, arranged in opposing pairs

buoyancy The ability for an object to be lifted up, or to float, because of the greater density of the liquid it is in

cache A secure place to store food, tools, and raw materials

calcium carbonate A salt, CACO3; under certain conditions, will precipitate out of the water of the Great Salt Lake, forming aragonite or calcite

cartography The art of drawing maps or charts

channel The bed of a stream or waterway

community All of the animals and plants which live together and interact within a specific region

condensation The change of a vapor to a liquid

contour interval The elevation difference between adjacent contour lines

contour line A line used on a topographic map to indicate areas of equal elevation above sea level

cordage Several strands of fiber twisted together; string or rope

cordage net Nets of various sizes made from cordage and used in hunting rabbits, ducks, and fish

crust The surface layer of the earth

crystallization The process of forming crystals

current A flowing of a body of water or air in a certain direction
 

deed A legal certificate of ownership

delta A triangular or fan-shaped piece of land formed of water-transported sediments that have been deposited at the mouth of a river or stream

density A measurement of the quantity or weight of matter contained in a given volume of space; usually expressed as grams per cubic centimeter

deposit Any matter laid down or precipitated by natural processes

diameter A straight line passing through the center of a circle or other curvilinear figure, dividing the figure into two equal parts

dissolve To go into solution in a liquid

earthquake A shaking of the ground caused by a sudden release of energy that is stored in the rocks beneath the surface of the earth

ecosystem A unit made up of the interacting living and non-living components of a community

electrical resistance A measurement of properties which limit the ability of a substance to conduct electricity

embryo An animal or plant in the early stages of its development; in plants, the stage in the seed before the beginning of rapid growth

endangered species A species that is in imminent danger of extinction

environment The combination of all the physical and other factors and conditions that influence the development or survival of an organism or group of organisms

erosion The physical removal of rock by an agent such as water, ice, or wind

ethnography Description of a culture based on observation of and interaction with living people

evaporation The physical change of state of a substance from a liquid to a gas or vapor

explorer A person who travels into unknown regions in order to learn about them

fact Something that is known to have happened or to be true or to exist

fault A break in the earth's crust along which movement occurs

fog A visible mass of condensed water vapor at ground level; caused when the relative humidity of the air reaches 100% at the surface

food chain The transfer of food energy through a series of organisms, beginning with the consumption of green plants (producers) by herbivores (plant eaters), and later consumption of the herbivores by carnivores (meat eaters)

food web A complex, interwoven series of food chains

foraging Food collecting

germination The beginning of growth by an embryo plant

gradient The slope of a channel, generally expressed in feet per mile or in degrees

Great Basin A physiographic region, mostly in Utah and Nevada, that was named by John Fremont because the area appeared to be a gigantic enclosed basin. May be considered as a region of internal drainage (no outlet to the ocean), a biotic region (having similar flora and fauna), or an ethnographic province (based on cultural similarities). Boundaries vary depending upon usage of the term.
 

habitat The "living area" of an organism that provides food, water, shelter, and space

halophyte A plant that is adapted to grow in salty soils

hydrometer An instrument that uses buoyancy to measure the density of a liquid; it consists of a weighted tube that floats vertically and determines the specific gravity of the liquid by a comparison of the scale on the tube with the level it floats in the liquid

hydrograph A graph that shows water level changes over time for a specific body of water

hygroscopic Capable of absorbing moisture from the atmosphere

inhibitor Something that restrains or prevents the growth of a plant

insoluble Incapable of being dissolved

inversion A stable air condition in which the air near the ground is cooler than the air higher up in the atmosphere

island A piece of land completely surrounded by water

jet stream A narrow band of upper atmosphere wind that has speeds greater than 57 miles per hour, caused by air temperature differences

key A list defining the symbols used on a map or chart

lake effect A temperature differential between a large body of water and the air above the water, which may lead to extremely heavy precipitation events

leach To remove soluble substances from the soil by percolating water through the soil

leaf margin The edge or border of a leaf; whether it is smooth, toothed, wavy, etc. is a helpful feature in plant identification

league A measure of distance equal to approximately three miles; varies in different countries

legal brief A summary of the facts of a legal case, drawn up by an attorney

legend Wording on a map or chart that explains the symbols used

litigation The process of bringing a lawsuit against someone

mano A shaped, hand-held stone used to grind grains, nuts, seeds, and mineral pigments by moving it back and forth on a metate

marsh A treeless wetland characterized by certain plants that are adapted to living in wet conditions

metate A shaped stone slab used as a base upon which grains, nuts, seeds, and mineral pigments were ground with a mano

migration Seasonal movement of animals such as birds from one region to another

molt To shed an outer covering such as feathers, cuticle, or skin, which is replaced periodically by new growth

nauplii The first stage in the life of brine shrimp after they hatch

navigable Capable of being travelled upon by a ship

nucleus A central part or thing around which other parts or things are collected
 

ooid A small, rounded, light-colored concretion which forms as the mineral aragonite builds up successive layers around a nucleus such as a mineral grain or brine shrimp fecal pellet

oolitic Composed of ooids

opinion A belief or judgement that is strongly held, but without actual proof of its truth

peninsula A portion of land that is almost surrounded by water, but is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land called an isthmus

plate tectonics The theory that the earth's surface is broken into a number of large thick plates that are slowly and continuously moving

playa A flat-bottomed basin that becomes a lake when surface water is available

pollution The introduction of harmful substances into the air, land, or water

precedent A previous case that is taken as an example in making legal decisions

precipitation The deposition of a substance in solid form from a solution in which it is present; or, the falling of rain, snow, hail etc. to the ground

recede To move back, retreat, or withdraw

relative humidity The ratio of the amount of water vapor actually in the air (absolute humidity) compared to the amount of water vapor the air can hold at that temperature and pressure; expressed as a percentage

reliction Land that is permanently uncovered by the recession of water

resource Something that can be used to achieve a purpose

retention The capacity for retaining, or continuing to hold, something such as heat

return rate The amount of edible food that can be obtained in a given amount of time; expressed as a ratio

rift valley A valley formed by a fault or crack in the earth's surface, generally of tensional origin

rifting The process by which the earth's crust is pulled apart and broken, resulting in the formation of new crust
 

saline Relating to or containing chemical salts

salinity The quantity of salts in a substance such as water or soil

salt A compound produced by the combination of a base, commonly a metallic oxide, with an acid; some common salts are sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium sulfate

salt flat Low-lying ground where salts collect in the soil because of the evaporation of standing water

saturation The point at which a solution is holding as many dissolved solutes as possible for its temperature and pressure

scale On a map, a ratio showing the relationship between a unit of distance on the map and the actual distance in the same unit of measurement on the ground

sediment Material that has been deposited after being transported by an agent such as wind or water

selective Characterized by a selection or choice, not all inclusive

settlement data The arrangement of evidence of human occupancy on the landscape; may include campsites, villages, towns, etc.

shard A piece of broken pottery

silt A fine-grained soil that is deposited by water or wind

slope An inclination or slant

soil liquefaction A liquefying of wet, unconsolidated sediments that can occur during an earthquake; can cause flooding and major structural damage to buildings and other structures

solids Solid substances or bodies; not liquid or gas

solute A dissolved substance

solution A liquid into which something is dissolved

solvent A liquid that is used to dissolve other substances

species A group of related animals or plants that differ only in minor attributes; able to interbreed among themselves

specific heat The amount of heat energy that can be contained in a given weight of a substance compared to the amount of heat energy that can be contained in the same weight of water; expressed as a ratio with water equaling a specific heat of one (1)

stagnant Not moving in a current or stream, still (air or water)

subsistence The means of living; obtaining food and shelter necessary to support life; everything that is done to "make a living"

supersaturation An unstable condition where more solutes are dissolved in a solvent that can normally be held in solution; may be related to changes in temperature and/or pressure of solution

surface area A two-dimensional measurement of the size of the surface of an object

suspended Dispersed and kept from falling in air or a liquid

suspension A liquid with particles suspended in it
 

terminal In a body of water, having no outlet stream

terrace A nearly flat strip of land with a sloping descent at the edges

threatened species A species of plant or animal that is not currently endangered, but may become so if its population continues to decrease

topography The features, natural and synthetic, that make up a region or area

tributary A stream that flows into a larger stream or other body of water

tumpline A strap slung across the forehead or the chest to help support a load carried on the back

turbidity The muddiness or lack of clarity of a body of water or a stream

unconsolidated Not cemented together

uplands Ground elevated above the lowlands; the foothills and mountains

volume The amount of space that a three-dimensional object occupies or contains

water cycle The continuous recycling of water on earth through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation

water vapor The invisible, gaseous state of water

wave A moving swell on the surface of a body of water or other liquid

wickiup A small temporary structure normally constructed of brush and poles, and usually conical in shape

zonation The division of a large area into smaller areas based on certain predetermined characteristics