Solar Energy — page 7 of 11

1,094 terms

Solar Energy terms

  1. Mantle The main bulk of the Earth, between the crust and core, ranging from depths of about 40 to 3,480 kilometers.
  2. Mantle hot spot A region of continental or oceanic crust below which a mantle plume causes melting of the overlying crust, resulting in a broad regional topographic swell…
  3. Marsh An area of low-lying wetlands dominated by grasslike plants.
  4. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) (MCL) The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs ensure that drinking water does not pose either a short-term or long-term…
  5. Maximum output See Nameplate capacity
  6. MCL See Maximum contaminant level
  7. Mean A statistics term. The average value in a set of measurements. The mean is the sum of a set of numbers divided by how many numbers are in the set.
  8. Mean sea level (MSL) (MSL) The arithmetic mean of hourly water elevations observed over a specific 19-year tidal epoch.
  9. Median household income Divides households into two equal segments, with one-half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more.
  10. Median housing value Divides housing units into two equal segments, one-half of housing units less than median housing value and the other half valued more.
  11. Megafauna A number of species of presently extinct mammals including mammoths and mastodons.
  12. Megawatt One thousand kilowatts, or 1 million watts; standard measure of electric power plant generating capacity.
  13. Megawatt electrical (MWe) One million watts of electrical energy; a measure of electrical power capacity, use in PEIS is synonymous with MW.
  14. Mesa A broad, flat-topped elevation with one or more steeply-sloping to vertical sides.
  15. Mesic habitat A habitat type characterized by the presence of a moderate amount of moisture or water. Compare: hydric; opposite: xeric.
  16. Mesozoic An era of geologic time between the Paleozoic and the Cenozoic, spanning the time between 251 and 65 million years ago.
  17. Metamorphic rock A sedimentary or igneous rock that has been changed by pressure, heat, or chemical action.
  18. Metate A portable stone slab upon which seeds and other grains are milled with a mano using a push-pull, back-and-forth motion. See also Mano
  19. Microbiotic soil crusts See Biological soil crusts
  20. Microphytic soil crusts See Biological soil crusts
  21. Microsite A small area within an environment with unique features, conditions, or characteristics relative to the surrounding area.
  22. Migration corridor A route followed by animals such as big game, birds, or fish when traveling between winter and summer habitats.
  23. Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (MBTA) The MBTA implements various treaties and conventions between the United States, and Canada, Japan, Mexico, and the former Soviet Union for the protection…
  24. Military Training Route (MTR) (MTR) A designated corridor of airspace with defined vertical and lateral dimensions established for conducting military flight training at airspeeds in excess…
  25. Milligauss (mG) A unit of measure for magnetic fields.
  26. Millsite mining claim Claim on nonmineral land for processing ore from a mining claim.
  27. Mineral A nutrient required to maintain health.
  28. Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (MLA) (MLA) Authorizes the agency to issue rights-of-way grants for oil and gas gathering and distribution pipelines and related facilities not already authorized…
  29. Mineral materials Widespread deposits of common clay, sand, gravel, or stone which are not subject to disposal under the 1872 Mining Law, as amended.
  30. Mining claim That portion of the public mineral lands which a miner, for mining purposes, takes and holds in accordance with the mining laws.
  31. Mining water use Water use during quarrying rocks and extracting minerals from the land.
  32. Minority population Includes Hispanic, American Indian, or Alaskan Native; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; Black (not of Hispanic origin) or African…
  33. Miocene An epoch of the upper Tertiary period, 23 to 5.3 million years ago.
  34. Mirror A reflecting surface of various physical shapes (parabolic, nearly flat, or flat) used to reflect and/or concentrate the sun's energy to specific…
  35. Mitigation Term usually used to refer to various changes or improvements made in a home; for instance, to reduce the average level of radon.
  36. Mitigation (measures) Methods or actions that will reduce adverse impacts from solar facility development.
  37. module The smallest self-contained, environmentally protected structure housing interconnected photovoltaic cells and providing a single dc electrical output…
  38. Molten salts Mixtures of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate in various proportions that are used as a heat transfer or heat storage medium in CSP Solar Energy…
  39. Montane The highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures, and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent…
  40. Mortar A stone bowl or bowl-shaped depression (such as in a rock) in which seeds, berries, nuts, meats, and other items are ground or pulverized with a pestle…
  41. Mosses Low-growing, nonvascular plants that are common to moist habitats.
  42. Multijunction solar cell A photovoltaic device comprised of two or more semiconductor materials or cell junctions, each capable of producing electricity with the photovoltaic…
  43. Multiple use A combination of balanced and diverse resource uses that takes into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable and nonrenewable…
  44. Multiple Use Classes Class C is for lands designated either as wilderness or for wilderness study areas. These lands are managed to protect their wilderness values.
  45. Multiple use management Coordinated management of the various surface and subsurface resources, without permanent impairment of the productivity of the land, that will best meet…
  46. NAAQS See National Ambient Air Quality Standards
  47. Nameplate rating The maximum power-generating capacity of a generator or power-generating facility.
  48. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (NAAQS) Federal standards established by the Clean Air Act.
  49. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (NEPA) Requires federal agencies to prepare a detailed statement on the environmental impacts of their proposed major actions that are significantly affecting…
  50. National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (NHPA) A federal law providing that property resources with significant national historic value be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  51. National Historic Trails These trails are designated by Congress under the National Trails System Act of 1968 and follow, as closely as possible, on federal land, the original…
  52. National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) (NLCS) Created by the BLM in June 2000 to increase public awareness of BLM lands with scientific, cultural, educational, ecological, and other values.
  53. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) (NPDES) A federal permitting system controlling the discharge of effluents to surface water and regulated through the Clean Water Act, as Amended.
  54. National Recreation Area An area designated by Congress to assure the conservation and protection of natural, scenic, historic, pastoral, fish, and wildlife values, and to provide…
  55. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (NRHP) A comprehensive list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology…
  56. National Scenic Byway See All-American Roads
  57. Native American Of, or relating to, a tribe, people, or culture that is indigenous to the United States. (See Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act)
  58. Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) (NAGPRA) This act established the priority for ownership or control of Native American cultural items excavated or discovered on federal or tribal land after 1990…
  59. Natural drainages Natural systems that convey water (such as a stream channel) that may be perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral.
  60. NatureServe A nonprofit organization that provides the scientific information and tools needed to guide effective conservation action.
  61. NatureServe Explorer A Web site from NatureServe that provides authoritative conservation information in a searchable database for more than 70,000 plants, animals, and…
  62. Neotropical migrants Birds (especially songbirds) that summer in North America but migrate to the tropics for the winter.
  63. NEPA See National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
  64. Net emissions Applied to greenhouse gas emissions inventory in this report. "Net emissions" means gross emissions (including all industrial activities, mostly fossil…
  65. Night-sky impact An interference with enjoyment of dark night skies resulting from light pollution.
  66. Nighttime mean rural background level Nighttime (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) average sound level in the rural environment, from all sources, rather than a particular noise that is of interest.
  67. Nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) (NO2) A toxic, reddish-brown gas that is a strong oxidizing agent, produced by combustion (as of fossil fuels).
  68. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) (NOx) The products of all combustion processes formed by the combination of nitrogen and oxygen.
  69. NO<sub>2</sub> See Nitrogen dioxide
  70. NO<sub>x</sub> See Nitrogen oxides
  71. Noise Any unwanted sound that interferes with speech and hearing, causes damage to hearing, or annoys a person.
  72. Noise criteria Quantitative noise limits, below which it is acceptable for people to hear. Typically, noise criteria are specified in ordinances, regulations, or…
  73. Non-point source pollution Pollution whose source is not specific in location; the sources of the pollutant discharge are dispersed, not well defined or constant.
  74. Nonattainment Area The EPA's designation for an air quality control region (or portion thereof) in which ambient air concentrations of one or more criteria pollutants exceed…
  75. Nongame species Those species not commonly harvested either for sport or profit.
  76. Nonmarket value Most environmental goods and services, such as clean air and water, and healthy fish and wildlife populations, are not traded in markets, meaning that…
  77. Nonpoint light source A light source that is sufficiently large in size and close enough to the viewer to appear as an illuminated surface rather than a star-like point of…
  78. Nonpoint sources Diffuse pollution sources (i.e., without a single point of origin or not introduced into a receiving stream from a specific outlet).
  79. Nonroad mobile sources (emissions) Sources such as farm and construction equipment, gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, and power boats and outdoor motors that emit pollutants.
  80. Noxious weeds Those plants regulated by law or those that are so difficult to control that early detection is important.
  81. Nurse plants Mature plants that create favorable conditions for seeds to germinate and for seedlings to survive and grow.
  82. O<sub>3</sub> See ozone
  83. OASIS An isolated, fertile tract or green locality in a desert region, made so by the presence of water. See also Palm oasis
  84. Obligate species Restricted to a particular condition of life; for example, dependent on a particular habitat to be able to breed.
  85. Obsidian A black or dark-colored volcanic glass.
  86. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (OSHA) One of the U.S. agencies responsible for regulation of biotechnology. The major law under which the agency has regulatory powers is the Occupational…
  87. Off-highway vehicle (OHV) or off-road vehicle (OHV) Any motorized vehicle designed for or capable of cross-country travel on or immediately over land, water, sand, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other…
  88. Off-road vehicle See also Off-highway vehicle
  89. Off-road vehicle (OHV) designations (OHV) OPEN: Vehicles are allowed without restrictions. LIMITED: Vehicle travel off existing roads and trails would be allowed only for authorized or permitted…
  90. Off-site facility A hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal area that is located away from the generating site.
  91. Oil and gas leasing (on BLM land) The BLM leases oil and gas rights to explore for and produce oil and gas resources from federal lands or mineral rights owned by the federal government.
  92. Onroad mobile source (emissions) Any mobile source of air pollution such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buses that travels on roads and highways.
  93. OSHA See Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  94. Ostracods Group of small crustaceans with a bivalved carapace which can be closed to completely cover the body; important planktonic fish food.
  95. Outflow The volume of growing cells that is removed from a bioreactor during a continuous fermentation process.
  96. Overbank deposits Fine-grained sediment (silt and clay) deposited from suspension on a floodplain by floodwaters from a stream channel.
  97. Overdraft When the amount of money withdrawn from a bank account is greater than the amount actually available in the account, the excess is known as an overdraft…
  98. Ozone (O3) A strong-smelling, reactive, toxic, chemical gas consisting of three oxygen atoms chemically attached to each other.
  99. Paleontological resources Fossilized remains, imprints, and traces of plants and animals preserved in rocks and sediments since some past geologic time.
  100. Paleozoic An era of geologic time, from the end of the Precambrian to the beginning of the Mesozoic, spanning the time between 542 and 251 million years ago.

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