Related Words

Carbon Dioxide (Co2): A heavy, colorless gas that is the fourth most abundant constituent of dry air, comprising 0.033% of the total.

Carbony: An aromatic sensation created by a slightly volatile set of heterocyclic compounds found in coffee's aftertaste that produces either sensations similar to a creosol-like substance or a burnt . . . View Full Definition

Carbonyl: A divalent group consisting of a carbon atom with a double-bond to oxygen. For example, acetone (CH3-(C=O)-CH3) is a carbonyl group linking two methyl groups. Also refers to a compound of a . . . View Full Definition

Carbons: Vitreous (polycrystalline or glassy) or pyrolytic graphitic structures of relatively hard, inert, and stable compounds that are conductors of thermal and electrical energy. Characterized by . . . View Full Definition

Carbonic Acid: A weak acid (H2CO3) that forms from the reaction of water and carbon dioxide. Most rain water is a very weak carbonic acid solution formed by the reaction of rain with small amounts of carbo . . . View Full Definition

Carbonate Platform: A submarine or intertidal shelf whose elevation is maintained by active shallow water carbonate deposition.

Carbonate Rock: A rock made up primarily of carbonate minerals (minerals containing the CO3 anionic structure). Limestone (made up primarily of calicite - CaCO3) and dolostone (made up primarily of dolomite . . . View Full Definition

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: Also known as organochlorines, these synthetic organic compounds contain chlorine. They tend to be persistent in the environment and to biomagnify in the food chain. Chlorinated hydrocarbons . . . View Full Definition

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS): Chemical substances used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and solvents that drift to the upper stratosphere and dissociate. Chlorine released by CFCs reacts with ozone, eroding the ozone layer.

Radiocarbon Technique: The estimation of primary productivity by the measurement of radiocarbon uptake