Solar Energy terms starting with S

127 terms

  1. Steppe Habitat dominated by shrubs and grasses.
  2. STG See Steam turbine generator
  3. Stirling Engine A heat engine of the reciprocating (piston) where the working gas and a heat source are independent.
  4. Stolon A lateral stem that grows horizontally along the ground surface. Used by some plant species as a mechanism for dispersal, since stolon nodes can…
  5. Strain A genetic variant within a species.
  6. Strata Single, distinct layers of sediment or sedimentary rock.
  7. Stratigraphy (stratigraphic) Layers of sediments and rocks that reflect the geologic history of an area. With respect to cultural resources and archaeological sites, the relative…
  8. Stream terrace A remnant of a floodplain surface formed by streams as they carve downward into their floodplains.
  9. Stressors Physical, chemical, or biological entities that can induce adverse effects on ecosystems or human health.
  10. Strike-slip fault Vertical (or nearly vertical) fractures where the blocks have mostly moved horizontally.
  11. Structural fires Fire originating in and burning any part or all of any building, shelter, or other structure.
  12. Structure Changes in the shape of the bottom of lakes, rivers, or impoundments, especially those that influence fish behavior.
  13. Sub-canopies Woody vegetation that grows beneath the canopy or tree tops of a forest or woodland.
  14. Subalpine The upper mountain vegetation immediately below the cold limits of tree and tall shrub growth.
  15. Subsidence Sinking or settlement of the land surface, due to any of several processes. As commonly used, the term relates to the vertical downward movement of…
  16. Subsistence The practices by which a group or individual acquires food, such as through hunting and gathering, fishing, and agriculture.
  17. Substation An electrical installation containing power conversion (and sometimes generation) equipment, such as transformers, compensators, and circuit breakers.
  18. Substrate 1. A compound that is altered by an enzyme. 2. Food source for growing cells or micro-organisms. 3. Material on which a sedentary organism lives and grows.
  19. Sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) SO2 is a key pollutant in the formation of acid rain and contributes to the formation of fine particles that are associated with significant negative…
  20. Sulfur oxides (SO<sub>x</sub>) Compounds containing sulfur and oxygen, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur trioxide (SO3).
  21. Surface expression Refers to the physical expression of seismic activity at the ground exterior in the form of a fault rupture or fissure.
  22. Surface rupture The breakage of ground along the surface trace of a fault caused by the intersection of the fault surface area ruptured in an earthquake with the Earth's…
  23. Surface texture The visual manifestations of the interplay of light and shadow created by the variations in the top of an object or landscape.
  24. Surface Water Water on the Earth's surface that is directly exposed to the atmosphere, as distinguished from water in the ground (groundwater).
  25. Sustainable yield See Perennial/Safe/Sustainable yield
  26. Swale A low place in a tract of land, usually moister, and often having denser vegetation than the adjacent higher land.
  27. Swarm (seismic swarm) A localized surge of earthquakes, with no one shock being conspicuously larger than all other shocks of the swarm.