Crop water requirementCrop consumptive use plus the water required to provide the leaching requirements.
Cropping patternThe acreage distribution of different crops in any one year in a given farm area such as a county, water agency, or farm.
crossThe mating of two individuals or populations. See: cross-breeding.
cross pollination efficiencyThe ease with which cross pollination can be achieved. Generally measured by the number of hybrid progeny generated per flower pollinated.
cross-breedingMating between members of different populations (lines, breeds, races or species). See: cross.
Cross-hybridizationThe hydrogen bonding of a single- stranded DNA sequence that is partially but not entirely complementary to a singlestranded substrate.
CrownThe base of the stem of cereals and forage species from which tillers or branches arise. In woody plants, the root-stem junction.
Crown FireA fire where flames travel from tree to tree at the level of the tree's crown or top.
crown gallA tumorous growth at the base of certain plants characteristic of infection by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
CrowningMovement of a fire from the understory into the crown of a forest canopy.
CRPAbbreviation for catabolite regulator protein. See: catabolite activator protein.
CRSConsole Replacement System for NOAA Weather Radio
Crucial winter rangeThe portion of the winter range to which a wildlife species is confined during periods of heaviest snow cover or that portion of the year-long range which…
Crude oilA mixture of hydrocarbons that exist in liquid phase in underground reservoirs and remain liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface…
Crushed gravelGravel which has been produced by a machine.
Crushed rockRock which has been reduced in size by a machine.
CrusherA machine which reduces rocks to smaller and more uniform sizes.
CrustaceansAquatic animals with hard external skeletons and segmented limbs, belonging to the class Crustacea; include cladocerans, shrimp, crayfish, fairy shrimp…
Crustal spreading centerA linear zone in the Earth's crust whose opposite sides are moving away from one another.
cry proteinsA class of crystalline proteins produced by strains of Bacillus thuringiensis, and engineered into crop plants to give resistance against insect pests.
Cry1AA protein derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that is toxic to some insects when ingested.
cryobiological preservationThe preservation of germplasm resources in a dormant state by storage at ultra-low temperatures, often in liquid nitrogen.
CryologyThe science of the physical aspects of snow, ice, hail, and sleet and other forms of water produced by temperatures below Zero degrees Celsius.
cryopreservationThe process of cooling and storing cells, tissues, or organs at very low or freezing temperatures to save them for future use.
Cryopreserved embryosEmbryos, generally those produced by in vitro fertilization exceeding the number that can be transferred for uterine implantation, that have been frozen.
cryoprotectantCompound preventing cell damage during successive freezing and thawing processes. Cryoprotectants are agents with high water solubility and low toxicity.
CryosphereOne of the interrelated components of the Earth's system, the cryosphere is frozen water in the form of snow, permanently frozen ground (permafrost)…
crypticAnything hidden. 1. Structurally heterozygous individuals that are not identifiable as they do not show abnormal meiotic chromosome pairing configurations…
CTPAbbreviation for 1. cytidine 5'-triphosphate, which is required for RNA synthesis since it is a direct precursor molecule; 2. Chloroplast transit peptide.
CUCumulus clouds - Detached clouds, generally dense and with sharp outlines, showing vertical development in the form of domes, mounds, or towers.
Cube LawIn reference to wind energy, for any given instant, the power available in the wind is proportional to the cube of the wind velocity; when wind speed…
Cubic Feet Per SecondA unit expressing rates of discharge. One cubic foot per second is equal to the discharge through a rectangular cross section, 1 foot wide by 1 foot deep…
Cubic feet per second (cfs or ft3/s)A unit of discharge for measurement of a flowing liguid equal to a flow of 1 cubic foot per second (448.8 gallons per minute (gpm), 7.
Cubic Feet per Second (CFS)(CFS)The flow rate or discharge equal to one cubic foot (of water, usually) per second. This rate is equivalent to approximately 7.48 gallons per second.
Cubic Foot (of Natural Gas)A unit of volume equal to 1 cubic foot at a pressure base of 14.73 pounds standard per square inch absolute and a temperature base of 60 degrees…
Cubic foot per second (cfs or ft3/s)As a rate of streamflow, a cubic foot of water passing a reference section in one second of time. A measure of a moving volume of water (1 cfs = 0.
CuestaAn elongated ridge formed by gently tilting sedimentary strata. The landform has a steep slope (escarpment or cliff) where the strata are exposed on their…
Cultural HeritageThe cultural resources that reflect the nation's maritime history and traditional cultural connections to the sea, as well as the uses and values they…
Cultural modificationAny human-caused change in the land form, water form, vegetation, or the addition of a structure which creates a visual contrast in the basic elements (e.
Cultural ResourceA tangible entity that is valued by or significantly representative of a culture, or that contains significant information about a culture.
Cultural resource(s)Any building, site, district, structure, or object significant in history, architecture, archeology, culture, or science.
Cultural resourcesArchaeological sites, structures, or features; traditional use areas; and Native American sacred sites or special use areas that provide evidence of the…
Culture(KUL-chur) The beliefs, values, and behaviors that are shared within a group, such as a religious group or a nation.
culture alterationA term used to indicate a persistent change in the properties of a culture's behaviour (e.g.
Culture mediumAny nutrient system for the cultivation of cells, bacteria or other organisms; usually a complex mixture of organic and inorganic nutrients.
culture roomA dedicated room for maintaining cultures, often in a controlled environment.
CulvertA pipe or small bridge for drainage under a road or structure. A conduit for the free passage of surface drainage water under a highway, railroad, canal…
Cumulative effectsEffects on the environment resulting from actions that are individually minor but that add up to a greater total effect as they take place over a period…
Cumulative impactsThe impacts assessed in an environmental impact statement that could potentially result from incremental impacts of the action when added to other past…
CumuliformDescriptive of all clouds with vertical development in the form of rising mounds, domes, or towers
Cumuliform AnvilA thunderstorm anvil with visual characteristics resembling cumulus-type clouds (rather than the more typical fibrous appearance associated with cirrus).
CumulonimbusA cloud belonging to a class indicative of thunderstorm conditions characterized by large, dense towers that often reach altitudes of 30,000 feet (9000…
Cumulus(Abbrev. CU) - detached clouds, generally dense and with sharp outlines, showing vertical development in the form of domes, mounds, or towers.
Cumulus BuildupsClouds which develop vertically due to unstable air. Characterized by their cauliflower-like or tower-like appearance of moderately large size
Cumulus CongestusA large, towering cumulus cloud with great vertical development, usually with a cauliflower-like appearance, but lacking the characteristic anvil of a…
cup anemometerAn instrument used to monitor wind speed. Wind rotation of cups generates and electric current calibrated in wind speed.
Curb stop (curb cock)A water service shutoff valve located in a water service pipe near the curb and between the water main and the building.
curieA unit of radioactivity, equal to the amount of a radioactive isotope that decays at the rate of 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second.
Curie (Ci)(Ci)The basic unit used to describe the intensity of radioactivity in a sample of material.
curingThe elimination of a plasmid from its host cell. Many agents which interfere with DNA replication, e.g.
CurrentA horizontal movement of water. Currents may be classified as tidal and nontidal.
Current (Electrical)The flow of electrical energy (electricity) in a conductor, measured in amperes.
Current (I)The movement of electrons through a conductor, measured in amperes.
Current DollarsThe value or purchasing power of a dollar that has not been reduced to a common basis of constant purchasing power, but instead reflects anticipated…
Current MeterDevice used to measure the water velocity or current in a river.
Curtailable loadElectricity deliveries that are subject to interruption by the grid operator.
Curtain DrainA drain constructed at the upper end of the area to be drained, to intercept surface or ground water flowing toward the protected area from higher ground…
Curtain groutingThe process of pressure grouting deep holes under a dam or in an abutment to form a watertight barrier and effectively seal seams, fissures, fault zones…
Curvature of SpacetimeAccording to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, mass curves space and time.
Customer ChargeAn amount to be paid for energy periodically by a customer without regard to demand or energy consumption.
Customer ClassCategories of energy consumers, as defined by consumption or demand levels, patterns, and conditions, and generally included residential, commercial…