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There are 739 entries started with 'a'
A A - HORIZON A & I
A Å A- SOIL HORIZON A/E or E/A
Ao -HORIZON av AA
AADT AAEE AAES
AAODC AAPCO AAPG
AAQS AARC AAS
AASG AASHO AASHO COMPACTION TEST
AASHO COMPACTION TEST, MODIFIED AASHO ROAD TEST AASHO ROAD TEST SOIL
AASHO ROAD TEST TYPE-PRESSUREMETER AASHTO AASHTO SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
AASP ABANDONED MINE ABANDONED SITE (Waste Control)
ABANDONED WELL ABANDONMENT OF WATER RIGHTS ABATEMENT
ABATEMENT DEBRIS ABC SOIL ABIOTIC
ABLATION ABOVE & BELOW GROUND FILL (Landfill) ABRASION
ABRASIVE SAND ABRASIVES ABRUPT WAVE
ABS ABSOLUTE ATMOSPHERE ABSOLUTE DENSITY
ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY ABSOLUTE PRESSURE ABSOLUTE PURITY WATER
ABSOLUTE SPECIFIC GRAVITY ABSOLUTE TEMPERATURE ABSOLUTE VELOCITY
ABSOLUTE VISCOSITY ABSOLUTE VOLUME ABSOLUTE ZERO
ABSOLUTE ZERO TEMPERATURE (oK) ABSORB ABSORBED DOSE (Radioactivity)
ABSORBED WATER ABSORBENT ABSORBING WELL
ABSORPTION ABSORPTION HYDROMETER ABSORPTION LOSS
ABSORPTION PHENOMENON ABSORPTION TEST ABSTRACTION
ABYSSAL FAN ABYSSAL FLOOR ABYSSAL PLAIN
ABYSSINIAN WELL AC AC SOIL
ACA ACCELERATED EROSION ACCELERATION (a)
ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY (g) ACCELERATION OF GRAVITY ACCELERATION, ANGULAR
ACCELEROMETER (Earthquake) ACCESS ROAD ACCESSORY MINERAL
ACCI ACCIDENT SITE ACCLIMATIZATION
ACCRETION ACCUMULATOR ACEEE
ACETALDEHYDE ACETALDOL ACETAMIDE
ACETIC ACID ACETIC ACID AMINE ACETONE
ACETONITRILE ACETYLENE ACFEL
ACFM ACI ACID
ACID AEROSOL ACID DEPOSITION ACID DRAINAGE
ACID MINE DRAINAGE ACID MINE WATER ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
ACID NUMBER ACID PRECIPITATION ACID RAIN
ACID SNOW ACID SOIL ACID, INORGANIC
ACID-BASE REACTIONS ACIDIC AGGREGATE ACIDIC POLLUTANTS
ACIDIC ROCKS ACIDITY ACIDULOUS WATER
ACM ACOUSTIC EMISION (AE) ACOUSTIC SOUNDING
ACP ACQR ACRE (Unit)
ACRE INCH (Unit) ACRE-FEET PER DAY (Unit) ACRE-FOOT (Unit)
ACRE-INCH DAY (Unit) ACROLEIN ACRYLIC ACID
ACRYLIC RESINS ACRYLONITRILE-BUTADIENE-STYRENE ACS
ACT OF GOD (Waste Control) ACTINIUM SERIES ACTINON
ACTIVATED ADSORPTION ACTIVATED ALUMINA ACTIVATED BIOFILTER
ACTIVATED CARBON (AC) ACTIVATED CHARCOAL ACTIVATED COMPLEX
ACTIVATED SLUDGE ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS ACTIVATION ENERGY
ACTIVE ACTIVE EARTH PRESSURE (Pa, pa) ACTIVE EQUILIBRIUM
ACTIVE FAULT (Earthquake) ACTIVE LAYER (Permafrost) ACTIVE LIFE (Waste Control)
ACTIVE MARGIN (Earthquake) ACTIVE MINE ACTIVE PORTION (Waste Control)
ACTIVE RADON REMEDIATION METHOD ACTIVE STATE OF PLASTIC EQUILIBRIUM ACTIVE VOLCANO
ACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY ACTIVE WATER ACTIVITY (A) (Geotechnology)
ACTIVITY (Radiation) ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS ACUTE TOXICITY
ACUTELY HAZARDOUS WASTE ACWA ACWM
ADA ADENINE ADHESION
ADHESIVES ADI ADIABATIC
ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE (ALR) ADIPIC ACID ADJUDICATION OF WATER RIGHTS
ADMINISTRATION OF WATER RIGHTS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ON CONSENT
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD ADMIXTURE (Material)
ADOBE (Material) ADOBE BRICK (Material) ADSORB
ADSORBATE ADSORBED WATER ADSORPTION
ADSORPTION EDGE ADSORPTION ISOTHERM ADSORPTION PROCESS
ADSORPTION WATER ADSORPTION, ACTIVATED ADSORPTION, CHEMICAL
ADSORPTION, PHYSICAL ADSORPTION, VAN DER WAALS ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES (AOPs)
ADVANCED SECONDARY TREATMENT ADVANCED TREATMENT ADVANCED WASTEWATER TREATMENT (AWT)
ADVECTION (Meteorology) ADVECTION (Landfill) AEA
AEG AELOTROPIC AEOLIAN
AEOLIAN DEPOSITS AERATED LAGOON AERATION
AERATION DETENTION TIME AERATION TANK AERATION ZONE
AERATOR AERE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
AERIAL WELL AEROBES AEROBIC
AEROBIC DECOMPOSITION AEROBIC DIGESTION AEROBIC PROCESS
AEROBIC TREATMENT AEROFILTER AEROHYDROUS
AEROSOL AEROSPHERE AESE
AFA AFCEE AFFECTED LANDFILL
AFFECTED PUBLIC AFFLUENT AFFLUX
AFPA AFTER PRECIPITATION AFTERBURNER
AFTERCONDENSER AFTERSHOCKS (Earthquake) AGAR
AGE TANK AGENT AGGLOMERATE
AGGLOMERATED MATERIALS AGGRADATION PLAIN AGGRADING RIVER
AGGRADING STREAM AGGREGATE AGGREGATE INFLUENCE FACTOR (AIF)
AGGREGATE SOIL AGGREGATE TYPES AGI
AGING EFFECT AGING PROCESS AGLIME
AGRICHEMICAL AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AGRICULTURAL SOIL AGRICULTURAL WASTE
AGROECOSYSTEM AGROUND AGU
AGWSE AHERA AHS
AID AIEE AIH
AIMBE AIPG AIR
AIR DIFFUSER AIR PRESSURE AIR BASIN
AIR CHANGES PER HOUR (ACH) AIR CLEANING AIR CONTAMINANT
AIR DRIED SOIL SAMPLE AIR DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT
AIR EXCHANGE RATE AIR FREEZING INDEX AIR MASS
AIR PARCEL AIR PERMEABILITY AIR POLLUTANT
AIR POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ACT AIR POLLUTION EPISODE
AIR POLLUTION SOURCES AIR QUALITY CRITERIA AIR QUALITY RELATED VALUE (AQRV)
AIR QUALITY STANDARDS AIR SCOUR AIR SHED
AIR SILTOMETER AIR SPARGING AIR STRIPPER
AIR STRIPPING AIR TEMPERATURE AIR THAWING INDEX
AIR TOXICS AIRBORNE FRACTION AIRBORNE PARTICULATES
AIRBORNE RELEASE AIR-BOUND AIRLIFT
AIR-OIL TABLE AIROMETER AIRS
AIR-SPACE RATIO AIR-TO-CLOTH RATIO AIR-VOID RATIO
AIR-WATER-SOLID RELATIONSHIP AISC AISI
AL ALABASTER ALAPO
ALBEDO ALCOHOL ALDEHYDE
ALDOL ALGAE A-LINE (Soil Classification)
ALIPHATIC ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS ALIQUOT
ALKALI ALKALI ACCUMULATION ALKALI FLAT
ALKALI LAKE ALKALI METALS ALKALI SOIL
ALKALI-AGGREGATE REACTION ALKALI-CARBONATE REACTION ALKALINE
ALKALINE AIR ALKALINE SOIL ALKALINE WATER
ALKALINITY ALKALI-SILICA REACTION ALKALIZATION
ALKANES ALKENES ALKYD RESINS
ALKYL-BENZENE-SULFONATE ALKYNES ALLENE
ALLOWABLE BEARING CAPACITY (qa) ALLOWABLE PILE BEARING LOAD (Foundation) ALLOWABLE SOIL PRESSURE
ALLOY ALLOY STEEL ALLUVIAL
ALLUVIAL CLAY ALLUVIAL CONE ALLUVIAL DEPOSIT
ALLUVIAL FAN ALLUVIAL FILL ALLUVIAL PLAIN
ALLUVIAL RIVER ALLUVIAL SOILS ALLUVIAL-SLOPE SPRING
ALLUVIATION ALLUVION ALLUVIUM
ALLYL ALCOHOL ALLYL PLASTICS ALPHA DECAY
ALPHA EMISSION DENSITY ALPHA FACTOR ALPHA PARTICLE ()
ALPHA RAY ALPHA RECOIL ALPHA TRACK DETECTOR
ALPIDE EARTHQUAKE BELT ALPINE GLACIER ALPINE ZONE
ALTERNATE DEPTHS ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
ALTITUDE ALUM ALUM SLUDGE
ALUMINA ALUMINA OCTAHEDRON ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM OXIDE ALUMINUM PALMITATE ALUMINUM SULFATE
AMALGAM AMBIENT AMBIENT AIR QUALITY
AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AMENDMENT
AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (AGI) AMERICAN ROCK MECHANICS ASSOCIATION (ARMA) AMI
AMINE AMINES, PRIMARY AMINES, SECONDARY
AMINES, TERTIARY AMINO ACID AMMONIA
AMMONIA NITROGEN AMMONIA STRIPPING AMMONIFICATION
AMMONIUM ION AMOEBA AMOEBIASIS
AMOEBIC DYSENTERY AMORPHOUS AMORPHOUS SOIL STRUCTURE
AMORPHOUS SOLID AMPERE (A) AMPERE (A) (Unit)
AMPEROMETRIC TITRATOR AMPHIBOLITE AMPHOTERIC
AMPHOTERIC BEHAVIOR AMPLIFICATION FACTOR AMPLITUDE
AMPLITUDE MODULATED (AM) AMPLITUDE, DOUBLE AMPLITUDE, SINGLE
AMSA amu (Unit) AMYGDALE
AMYL ACETATE ANABATIC WIND ANABOLISM
ANAEROBES ANAEROBIC ANAEROBIC BACTERIA
ANAEROBIC DECOMPOSITION ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ANAEROBIC PONDS
ANAEROBIC PROCESS ANALOG (Chemistry) ANC
ANCHOR (Foundation) ANCHOR ICE ANCHOR PILE (Foundation)
ANCHORAGE (Foundation) ANDESITE ANDESITE LINE
ANGLE OF EXTERNAL FRICTION ANGLE OF INTERNAL FRICTION ANGLE OF OBLIQUITY
ANGLE OF PLASTICITY ANGLE OF REPOSE ANGLE OF WALL FRICTION
ANGSTROM (Å,A) (Unit) ANGULAR VELOCITY (Unit) ANGULAR ACCELERATION (Unit)
ANGULAR MOMENTUM ANGULAR SHAPE ANGULAR UNCONFORMITY
ANGULARITY ANHYDRIDE ANHYDRITE
ANHYDROUS ANILINE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (Earthquake)
ANION ANION EXCHANGE ANIONIC POLYMER
ANISOTROPIC ANISOTROPIC AQUIFER ANISOTROPIC MASS
ANISOTROPY ANNEALING ANNUAL FLOOD
ANNUAL INEQUALITY ANODE ANODIC PROTECTION
ANODIZED ANORTHOSITE ANOXIC
ANOXIC PROCESS ANSI ANSS
ANTECEDENT MOISTURE ANTECEDENT PRECIPITATION (Weather) ANTHRACITE COAL
ANTHROPOGENIC ANTICLINE ANTICYCLONE
ANTI-DESERTIFICATION MEASURES (Desert) ANTI-DUNE MOVEMENT ANTIFOAM AGENT
ANTIFOULANT ANTIGEN ANTIKNOCK ADDITIVE
ANTIOXIDANT ANTISCALANT AOAC
AOC AOPs APCA
APHA APHANITIC TEXTURE API
API GRAVITY API SEPARATOR APPARENT COHESION OF SOIL
APPARENT COLOR APPARENT DENSITY OF SOIL APPARENT GROUNDWATER VELOCITY
APPARENT POWER APPARENT PRECONSOLIDATION PRESSURE APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY (Ga, Sa)
APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF AGGREGATE APPARENT VOLUME APPROACH VELOCITY
APPROPRIATION DOCTRINE, WATER LAW APPROPRIATOR OF WATER RIGHTS APPROXIMATE MOBILITY INDEX (AMI) (Landslides)
APRON APWA AQCR
AQL AQRV AQUATIC HUMIC SUBSTANCES (AHA)
AQUEDUCT AQUEOUS AQUEOUS CHLORINE
AQUEOUS METAMORPHISM AQUEOUS SOLUBILITY AQUEOUS SOLUTION
AQUEOUS TREATMENT AQUEOUS VAPOR AQUICLUDE
AQUIFER AQUIFER, CONFINED AQUIFER, UNCONFINED
AQUIFUGE AQUITARD ARABLE
ARAC ARAGONITE ARAR
ARB ARCC ARCHAEOGEOTECHNOLOGY (Archaeo-Geotechnology)
ARCHAEOLOGY ARCHEOLOGICAL GEOCHEMISTRY ARCHEOLOGICAL GEOPHYSICS
ARCHIMEDES' PRINCIPLE ARCHING ARCHIPELAGO
ARCTIC ARCTIC MIST AREA
AREA (Unit) AREA MINING AREA OF INFLUENCE OF A WELL
AREA RATIO OF A SAMPLING SPOON (Ar) AREA UNIT CONVERSION ARENACEOUS SHALE
ARGILLACEOUS ARGILLIC B-SOIL HORIZON ARID
ARID LAND ARID LAND CLIMATES ARKOSE
ARMA ARNEWS AROMATIC
AROMATIC COMPOUNDS ARRAY ARRG
ARROYO ARSENIC ARSENIC ACID
ARSENIC DISULPHIDE ARSENIC ORES ARSENIC TRIOXIDE
ARSENIOUS OXIDE ARSENOPYRITE ARTERIAL DRAINAGE
ARTESIAN ARTESIAN AQUIFER ARTESIAN BASIN
ARTESIAN CAPACITY ARTESIAN DISCHARGE ARTESIAN FLOW
ARTESIAN HEAD ARTESIAN LEAKAGE ARTESIAN PRESSURE
ARTESIAN PRESSURE SURFACE ARTESIAN SPRING ARTESIAN WASTE
ARTESIAN WATER ARTESIAN WATER POWER ARTESIAN WELL
ARTESIAN WELL CAPACITY ARTIFACT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
ARTIFICIAL NAVIGABLE WATERWAY ARTIFICIAL NOURISHMENT ARTIFICIAL RAINFALL
ARTIFICIAL WATERCOURSE ARTIMIS ASAE
ASBESTOS ASBESTOS-CONTAINING MATERIAL ASCE
ASChE ASDWA ASEISMIC
ASEISMIC REGION (Earthquake) ASEPTIC ASH
ASH FALL ASH FLOW ASH, BOTTOM
ASH, COAL ASH, FLY ASH, INCINERATOR
ASH, MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE ASH, RICE HUSK ASH, VOLCANIC
ASHE ASHRAE ASIWCPA
ASME ASPERITIES (Earthquake) ASPHALT
ASPHALT AND CEMENT ADMIXTURE LINERS ASPHALT CEMENT (AC) ASPHALT CONCRETE
ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASPHALT PAVEMENT STRUCTURE ASPHALT PRIMER
ASPHALT, CUTBACK ASPHALT, EMULSIFIED ASPHALT-RUBBER
ASPIRATING AERATOR ASPIRATOR ASQC
ASR ASSESSABLE LAND ASSESSMENT
ASSIMILABLE ORGANIC CARBON (AOC) ASSIMILATIVE CAPACITY ASSOCIATION OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS (AEG)
ASSOCIATION OF GROUND WATER SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERGS (AGWSE) AST ASTERISM (Geology)
ASTHENOSPHERE (Earthquake) ASTHO ASTM
ASTSWMO ASYMMETRIC MEMBRANE AT
ATAD atm ATMOMETER
ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE (atm) (Unit) ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION
ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE ATMOSPHERIC WATER
ATOLL ATOM ATOMIC ENERGY ACT
ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROPHOTOMETRY (AAS) ATOMIC BOND, SECONDARTY ATOMIC BONDS
ATOMIC BONDS, PRIMARY ATOMIC ENERGY ATOMIC MASS
ATOMIC MASS NUMBER ATOMIC MASS UNIT (amu) (Unit) ATOMIC NUMBER
ATOMIC PACKING FACTOR ATOMIC RADIUS ATOMIC THEORY
ATOMIC WEIGHT ATOMIZE ATOMIZER
ATP ATSDR ATTACHED GROUND WATER
ATTACHED GROWTH PROCESS ATTACHED GROWTH REACTOR ATTAINMENT AREA
ATTAPULGITE ATTENUATION ATTERBERG LIMITS
ATTF ATTITUDE atto
ATTRACTIVE FORCE AUGER AUTHIGENIC MINERAL
AUTHIGENIC SEDIMENT AUTOCLAVE AUTOGENETIC DRAINAGE
AUTOGENETIC TOPOGRAPHY AUTOGENOUS COMBUSTION AUTOGENOUS TEMPERATURE
AUTOIGNITION TEMPERATURE AUTOMOBILE EMISSION STANDARD AUTO-OXIDATION
AUTOTHERMAL THERMOPHILIC AEROBIC DIGESTION (ATAD) AUTOTHERMIC COMBUSTION AUTOTROPH
AUTOTROPHIC AVAILABLE DILUTION AVAILABLE MOISTURE CAPACITY
AVAILABLE OXYGEN AVAILABLE WATER AVAILABLE WATER SUPPLY
AVALANCHE AVERAGE ANNUAL FLOOD AVERAGE DEGREE OF CONSOLIDATION
AVERAGE EFFECTIVE VELOCITY AVERAGE GROUND WATER VELOCITY AVERAGE LIFETIME (Radiation)
AVERAGE STREAM FLOW AVERAGE VEHICLE RISK (AVR) (Landslides) AVERAGE VELOCITY
AVERAGE YEAR AVOGADRO'S HYPOTHESIS AVOGADRO'S NUMBER (N, No)
AVR AWG AWPA
AWRA AWT AWWA
AWWARF AXIAL FLOW AZEOTROPIC
AZONAL SOILS




ENVIRONMENTAL GEOTECHNOLOGY DICTIONARY
Edited By
Hsai-Yang Fang, Ph.D
Professor Emeritus
Lehigh University. Bethlehem, PA
Distinguished Fellow
Global Institute for Energy & Environmental Systems
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Copyright Reserved 2006

Environmental geotechnology is a relatively new and interdisciplinary subject, which covers soil, water and rock and their interaction with various environmental cycles including the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, as well as geomicrobiosphere. To tackle this complex subject, it is necessary to have knowledge from other disciplinary fields including agricultural science, biology, environmental science, geology, microbiology, mineralogy, and physicochemistry. Therefore, a uniform glossary of terms, definitions, nomenclature, abbreviation, acronym, symbols and units is needed for general discussions, reports and documents to minimize confusion and to improve the effectiveness for the environmental aspects of geotechnical problems. Some important information is collected, compiled and edited, and in spite of careful preparation of this dictionary, there cannot be avoided some missing or misinterpreted terms, typing errors, etc. The editor hopes, however, that with the aid of suggestions and criticism, there can be improvement for a later edition.
Thanks to many government agencies, professional societies and private organizations including American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Transportation Research Board (TRB), International Society of Environmental Geotechnology (ISEG), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for providing useful documents for preparation of the dictionary. Also thanks to Prof. Charles Ochola, Villanova University, Prof. Tae-Hyung Kim, Korea Maritime University, Ms. Eleanor S. Nothelfer of Fritz Engineering Laboratory, Lehigh University and Mr. Gustavo Borel Menezes of Global Institute for Energy and Environmental Systems (GIEES), University of North Carolina at Charlotte for their assistance during various phases of preparation of the manuscript.
Acknowledgment is made to Review Committee Members for their time and willingness to review the manuscripts.

Prof. Ronald C. Chaney, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Prof. John L. Daniels, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC
Prof. Jeffrey C. Evans, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
Prof. T. Cassia De Brito Galvao, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, BRAZIL
Prof. Hilary I. Inyang, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC
Dr. Abidin Kaya, URS Corporation, Honolulu, HI
Prof. Jai-Young Lee, The University of Seoul, KOREA
Prof. Irene M.C. Lo, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong
Prof. Horace K. Moo-Young Jr., Villanova University, PA
Dr. Jouko Saarela, Finnish Environmental Institute, FINLAND
Prof. Robert W. Sarsby, The University of Wolverhampton, U.K.
Prof. Leonardo Zeevaert, Universidad Nacional Automoma de Mexico, MEXICO
Prof. Thomas F. Zimmie, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY

Hsai-Yang Fang
February 15, 2006

Web Edition by:
Gustavo Borel Menezes, GIEES, UNC Charlotte
Simon Chung, GIEES, UNC Charlotte

Developed by: Gustavo Borel Menezes