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G
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GAP |
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Geodiversity action plan. A mechanism
for the recognition, promotion, conservation and
management of geodiversity |
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Geoconservation |
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The conservation of geodiversity for
its intrinsic, ecological and (geo)heritage values |
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| Geodiversity
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The natural range
(diversity) of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils),
geomorphological (land form, processes) and soil
features. It includes their assemblages, relationships,
properties, interpretations and systems |
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Geodiversity audit |
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A survey and quality assessment of the
direct and indirect geological interest pertaining to a
defined area |
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| Geology |
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The scientific study of the physical
and chemical composition of the Earth, its origin and
evolution over time, and the processes involved |
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Geomorphology |
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A specialised branch of geology,
concerning the scientific study of the landforms on the
Earth’s surface and of the processes responsible for
their formation |
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| Geopark
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An area with geological heritage of
international importance designated by UNESCO |
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| Geophones |
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These are sensors which detect
vibration in the ground and can convert it into a
voltage which can then be recorded and analysed |
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| Geophysics
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This is the study of the physics of the
earth. Geophysical survey techniques use physical
properties themselves (e.g. magnetism) or apply
properties to see how the earth affects them (e.g.
radar), to determine something about the earth structure |
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| Geostatistics |
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Geostatistics is a collection of
statistical methods which were traditionally used in
geo-sciences to delineate and evaluate economic value of
a mineral deposit |
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| Geotechnics |
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A specialised branch of engineering
concerned with understanding and taking account of all
aspects of ground conditions (including geology and
geomorphology) in the design of earthworks, buildings,
foundations and other structures |
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| Geotope |
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A geological feature that offers
knowledge about the development of planet Earth |
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| GIS |
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Geographic Information Systems - is a
system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing
data and associated attributes which are spatially
referenced to the Earth |
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| GPR |
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Ground Probing Radar |
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| Gravel |
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In civil engineering this refers to
particulate material ranging in size from coarse sand to
large cobbles (see particle size). In current commercial
practice, the term gravel (or more correctly coarse
aggregate) is used for general and concrete applications
to define particles between 4 and 80 mm |
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| Greenfield
site |
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Land previously in agriculture or
non-urban/industrial use or which has not been damaged
by a previous use |
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| Greenspace |
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Undeveloped space, usually in urban settings,
designated for parks, playgrounds, trails and wildlife
habitat.
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| Ground
Investigation |
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An investigation of sub-surface
ground conditions, using techniques such as boreholes,
trial pits, penetration tests, laboratory testing of
recovered samples, geophysical surveys and associated
analysis and reporting. A ground investigation generally
forms only part of a more wide ranging Site
Investigation, usually carried out in stages |
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Groundwater |
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Defined in the Water Framework
Directive (WFD) as “all water below the surface of the
ground in the saturated zone and in direct contact with
the ground or subsoil”. The term is also legally defined
in Section 104(d) of the Water Resources Act 1991 (WRA)
as “any waters contained in underground strata”.
Technically, the WFD definition, which specifically
excludes water in the unsaturated zone (i.e. ‘soil
moisture’) is more accurate, but the WRA definition
becomes important in relation to the abstraction
licensing regime |
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Groundwater Management |
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An administrative subdivision of
an aquifer, defined on geological |
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H
| Habitat |
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An ecological or environmental area
that is inhabited by a particular species, or community
of species, and which is characterised by physical,
chemical and biological conditions that are conducive to
the continued survival or growth of that (or those)
species |
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| Hardness |
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Hardness refers to various properties
of rock in the solid phase that give it high resistance
to various kinds of shape change when force is applied |
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| Historic
Environment |
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Aspects of the environment which relate
to historical land use and development, including (but
not limited to) ancient monuments, listed buildings and
archaeological remains |
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| HLS |
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Higher Level Stewardship – the more specialised
element of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme (an agri-environment
scheme), which makes higher payments for options
requiring higher management input on targeted habitats /
species |
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| Hydraulic
conductivity |
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a measure of the rate at which water
can flow through a rock or sediment. Unlike the more
general term ‘permeability’, hydraulic conductivity is
affected by the density and kinematic viscosity of the
fluid as well as by the characteristics of the material
through which it is flowing |
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| Hydraulic
gradient |
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The difference in hydraulic head
between any two points (represented by the difference in
water level in standpipes at those locations), divided
by the horizontal distance between those points |
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| Hydraulic
head |
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A measurement of water pressure within
an aquifer or surface water body, usually expressed in
terms of height above a specified datum level (e.g. sea
level). Defined as the sum of the elevation head,
pressure head, and the velocity head at a given point
(the latter usually being negligible in the case of
groundwater) |
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Hydraulically bound mixtures |
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Mixtures complying with BS
EN 14227:2004 that use air-cooled steel slag, cement,
fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag, gypsum and lime
as the binders with aggregates |
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| Hydroecology (=ecohydrology) |
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The scientific overlap
between the fields of hydrology and ecology, including
the influence of hydrology on ecosystems and vice-versa. |
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Hydrogeology |
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A specialised branch of geology
concerned with the scientific study of water within the
Earth’s crust, including its physics, dynamics,
chemistry and relationships to geological and
environmental factors |
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| Hydrology |
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The scientific study of the properties,
distribution and circulation of water. The term is
normally used specifically in relation to surface water
but sometimes may refer also to groundwater |
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| Hydromorphology |
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The combination of hydrological
conditions (e.g. water depth and velocity) and
morphological conditions (channel width, depth, bedforms,
planform, bank characteristics etc.) characteristics
which make up the physical habitat of a particular
watercourse |
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| Hyporheic
Zone |
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The water-saturated transitional zone
between surface water and shallow groundwater, beneath
and adjacent to surface water features, where there is a
mixing of the respective waters controlled by reversible
hydraulic and bio-geochemical gradients. The term is
derived from the combination of two Greek words: hypo
(below) and rheos (flow), and thus literally means flow
below the surface |
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I
| IBA |
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Incinerator bottom
ash |
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| Image
Analysis |
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Image analysis (IA) is the extraction
of meaningful information from optical images; mainly
from digital images by means of digital image processing
techniques |
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| Impact
crusher |
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This is a crusher which uses impact. It
usually consists of metal bars (known as beaters,
impellors, hammers or blow bars) attached to fixed
rotors on a rotating shaft within a crushing chamber
lined with metal impact plates or bars (known as anvils
or breaker plates) |
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| Inert Dust |
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Dust composed of material with no
clinically proven effects on health |
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Infiltration |
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The process by which water on the
ground surface enters the soil |
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| Intergranular
Flow |
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The flow of groundwater through pore
spaces (e.g. between individual grains of sediment)
within an aquifer |
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| Interpretative Communication on waste and by-products |
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The
Interpretative Communication on waste and by-products
(COM (2007) 59 final) aims to clarify when a material is
waste or not in a production process context |
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Invertebrates |
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Animals that lack a vertebral column
and may instead have an external exoskeleton, such as
insects and spiders |
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| Ion |
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An atom or molecule that has either lost or gained
electrons, giving it a positive (cation) or negative
(anion) electrical charge |
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