Science terms starting with R

652 terms

Ring seal gate Similar to a paradox gate, however sealing is by a moveable seal, which is extended by water pressure when the gate is closed.
Ring-fencing Techniques used to isolate the credit risk of a subsidiary within a corporation from the risk of its affiliated companies.
Ring-follower gate A gate consisting of a rectangular leaf and an opening equal in diameter to that of the conduit that forms an unobstructed passageway when the leaf is in…
Rinsate Water that is used to rinse or clean equipment or reaction vessels and that may, as a result, become contaminated and require special handling and…
RIOGD Rio Grande
Riometer (Relative Ionospheric Opacity meter). A specially designed radio receiver for continuous monitoring of cosmic noise.
RIP The procedures used to unbundle email collections into individual emails during the e-discovery process while preserving authenticity and ownership.
Rip Current A relatively small-scale surf-zone current moving away from the beach. Rip currents form as waves disperse along the beach causing water to become trapped…
Rip Rap A layer of stones, broken rock or precast blocks placed in random fashion on the upstream slope of an embankment dam, on a reservoir shore or on the sides…
Rip Tide See RIP CURRENTS
Riparian Relating to, living in, or located on the bank of a river, lake, or tidewater.
Riparian Area Vegetated ecosystems along a waterbody through which energy, materials, and water pass.
Riparian buffer Riparian areas that are managed to protect the aquatic and riparian ecosystem. A riparian buffer protects water quality and temperature, habitat along the…
Riparian obligate species Plants or animal species found only in riparian habitats.
Riparian Zone The transition zone between the water and the upland zone. Can be identified by specific types of plants and soils.
Ripple In a streambed, a ripple is a small triangle-shaped elements having gentle upstream slopes and steep downstream slopes.
Riprap A man-made stretch of rocks or material of a hard composition that usually extends above and below the shoreline, often found near dams of big…
Risk The possibility of loss; the uncertainty of future returns.
risk analysis A process consisting of three components: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication performed to understand the nature of unwanted, negative…
risk assessment a scientifically based process consisting of the following steps: i) hazard identification; ii) hazard characterization; iii) exposure assessment; and iv)…
risk communication The interactive exchange of information and opinions throughout the risk analysis process concerning hazards and risks, risk-related factors and risk…
risk management The process, distinct from risk assessment, of weighing policy alternatives, in consultation with all interested parties, considering risk assessment and…
River Basin The land area surrounding one river from its headwaters to its mouth. The area drained by a river and its tributaries.
River corridor A river and the strips of land adjacent to it, including the talus slopes at the bases of cliffs, but not the cliffs themselves.
River Flood Statement This product is used by the local National Weather Service Forecast Office (NWFO) to update and expand the information in the River Flood Warning.
River Flood Warning This is product is issued by the local National Weather Service Forecast Office (NWFO) when forecast points (those that have formal gaging sites and…
River Flooding The rise of a river to an elevation such that the river overflows its natural banks causing or threatening damage.
River Forecast An internal product issued by RFCs to other NWS offices. An RVF contains stage and/ or flow forecasts for specific locations based on existing, and…
River Forecast (RVF) An internal product issued by RFCs to other NWS offices. An RVF contains stage and/or flow forecasts for specific locations based on existing, and…
River Forecast Center Centers that serve groups of Weather Service Forecast offices and Weather Forecast offices, in providing hydrologic guidance and is the first echelon…
River Forecast Center (RFC) Centers that serve groups of Weather Forecast Offices, in providing hydrologic guidance and is the first echelon office for the preparation of river and…
River Gage A device for measuring the river stage.
River Gage Datum The arbitrary zero datum elevation which all stage measurements are made from.
River Ice Statement A public product issued by the RFC containing narrative and numeric information on river ice conditions.
River Ice Statement (RVI) A public product issued by the RFC's containing narrative and numeric information on river ice conditions.
River mile (RM) A unit of measurement (in miles) used on rivers.
River Observing Station An established location along a river designated for observing and measuring properties of the river.
River outlet works (row) See outlet works.
River Recreation Statement A statement released by the NWS to inform river users of current and forecast river and lake conditions.
River Recreation Statement (RVR) A statement released by the NWS to inform river users of current and forecast river and lake conditions.
River Statement A NWS product issued to communicate notable hydrologic conditions which do not involve flooding, i.e., within river bank rises, minor ice jams, etc.
River Statement (RVS) A product issued to communicate notable hydrologic conditions which do not involve flooding, i.e., within river bank rises, minor ice jams, etc.
River Summary (RVA) A NWS summary of river and/ or crest stages for selected forecast points along the river.
River System All of the streams and channels draining a river basin.
River trash wall Walls constructed to deflect heavy floating debris away from the upper ends of a fishway.
Riverine Riparian; pertaining to a riverbank.
Riverine wetland Wetlands within river and stream channels, generally characterized by flowing water. Ocean-derived salinity is less than 0.5 part per thousand.
RLS Release
RLTV Relative
RMN Remain
RMTN Regional Meteorological Telecommunications Network
RMV remove
RNA One of the two types of nucleic acids found in all cells. In the cell, RNA is made from DNA (the other type of nucleic acid), and proteins are made from…
RNA (Ribonucleic acid) An organic acid composed of re- peating nucleotide units of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil, whose ribose components are linked by phosphodiester…
RNA editing Post-transcriptional processes that alter the information encoded in RNA s.
RNA polymerase Transcribes RNA from a DNA template. (See Polymerase, RNA.)
RNA-dependent DNA polymerase See: reverse transcriptase.
RNAase Abbreviation for ribonuclease.
RNase Abbreviation for ribonuclease.
RNFL Rainfall
Rock A player who plays very tight, not very creatively. He raises only with the best hands.
Rock anchor A steel rod or cable placed in a hole drilled in rock, held in position by grout, mechanical means, or both.
Rock art Images on rock surfaces. There are two types of rock art: pictographs, which are drawn or painted onto the surface, and petroglyphs, which are pecked…
Rock Bin A container that holds rock used as the thermal mass to store solar energy in a solar heating system.
Rock bolt A steel rod placed in a hole drilled in rock, held in position by grout, mechanical means, or both. A rock bolt can be pretensioned.
Rock excavation Hard and firm parts of the earth's crust which is dug out and removed from a particular site or area, see rock.
Rock Fill Dam An embankment dam in which more than 50% fo the total volume comprises compacted or dumped pervious natural or crushed rock.
Rock fragment Detached pieces of rock which generally are not rounded.
Rock outcrop The part of a rock formation that appears above the surface of the surrounding land.
Rock Wool A type of insulation made from virgin basalt, an igneous rock, and spun into loose fill or a batt. It is fire resistant and helps with soundproofing.
Rocketsonde A type of radiosonde that is shot into the atmosphere by a rocket, allowing it to collect data during its parachute descent from a higher position in the…
Rockfill Dam An embankment dam in which more than 50 percent of the total volume is comprised of compacted or dumped cobbles, boulders, rock fragments, or quarried…
ROD A graduated staff used in determining the difference in elevation between two points.
Rogue Wave Commonly used term by mariners of a wave of an unexpected wave of much greater height or steepness than other waves in the prevailing sea or swell system.
rol genes A family of genes, present on the Ri plasmid of Agrobacterium rhizogenes, that when transferred to a plant upon infection by the bacterium, induce…
Roll Cloud A low, horizontal tube-shaped arcus cloud associated with a thunderstorm gust front (or sometimes with a cold front).
Rolled Earth Dam See "Embankment Dam".
Rolled Earth Dam (Earth Fill or Earth Dam) An embankment dam in which more than 50% of the total volume is formed of compacted fine-grained material obtained from a borrow area.
Rolled fill dam An embankment dam of earth or rock in which the material is placed in layers and compacted by the use of rollers or rolling equipment.
Rolled Filled Dam An embankment dam of earth or rock in which the material is placed in layers and compacted by using rollers or rolling equipment. Same as Rockfill dam.
Roller compacted concrete (RCC) A mixture of cement, water, and aggregate compacted by rolling.
Roller drum gate. See drum gate.
Roller gate A gate rolled up or down inclined supporting rails by a hoist through sprocket chains around the ends of a cylinder.
Roller-compacted concrete dam A concrete gravity dam constructed by the use of a dry mix concrete transported by conventional construction equipment and compacted by rolling, usually…
Rolling A method of compacting soil using a sheepsfoot roller or a smooth drum roller.
Rolling blackouts A controlled and temporary interruption of electrical service. They are necessary when a utility is unable to meet heavy peak demands because of an…
Roof A building element that provides protection against the sun, wind, and precipitation.
Roof Pond A solar energy collection device consisting of containers of water located on a roof that absorb solar energy during the day so that the heat can be used…
Roof Ventilator A stationary or rotating vent used to ventilate attics or cathedral ceilings; usually made of galvanized steel, or polypropylene.
Roost An area where birds or bats rest or sleep. Birds often use branches or tree cavities for roosts while bats use tree bark, tree hollows, caves, mines…
root To trap a target in place/stuck using a "root" type spell such as Entangling Roots.
root apex The apical meristem of a root; very similar to the shoot apical meristem in that it forms the three meristematic areas: the protoderm (develops into the…
root cap A mass of reinforced cells covering and protecting the apical meristem of a root.
root culture The culture of isolated apical or lateral root tips to produce in vitro root systems with indeterminate growth habits.
root cutting Cutting made from sections of roots alone.
root hairs Outgrowths from epidermal cell walls of the root, specialized for water and nutrient absorption.
root nodule A small round mass of cells attached to the roots of leguminous plants, containing symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteroids, particularly Rhizobium spp.
root tuber Thickened root that stores carbohydrates.
Root zone The volume of soil or growing medium containing the roots of a plant. In soil science, the depth of the soil profile in which roots are normally found.
rootstock The trunk or root material to which buds or scions are inserted in grafting. See: stock.