Geophysics & Environmental Physics
6 terms
Radiative Forcing
Geophysics & Environmental Physics
W/m² (Watts per square meter)
The net change in Earth's energy balance per unit area at the tropopause due to an environmental driver of climate change.
ΔF = F_incoming - F_outgoing
Radiometric Dating in Geology
Geophysics & Environmental Physics
Ma or Ga (Millions / Billions of Years)
A geochronological technique used to determine the absolute age of rocks and minerals by measuring radioisotope parent-to-daughter ratios.
t = (1 / λ) ln(1 + D / P) (Parent P → Daughter D)
Radon Gas Migration
Geophysics & Environmental Physics
Bq/m³ or pCi/L (Activity Concentration)
The environmental migration of radioactive Radon-222 gas from decaying uranium in rocks and soil into indoor building spaces.
Decay Chain: ²³⁸U → ²²⁶Ra → ²²²Rn (Half-life = 3.82 days)
Relative Humidity
Geophysics & Environmental Physics
Percentage (%)
The ratio of the actual vapor pressure of water in an air parcel to the saturation vapor pressure at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.
RH = (e / e_s(T)) × 100%
Remote Sensing in Geophysics
Geophysics & Environmental Physics
Multi-Spectral Satellite Imagery
The acquisition of geophysical information about Earth's surface and atmosphere from a distance using satellite or airborne sensors.
NDVI = (NIR - Red) / (NIR + Red)
Richter Scale
Geophysics & Environmental Physics
Logarithmic Magnitude (M_L / M_w)
A base-10 logarithmic scale quantifying earthquake magnitude based on the maximum amplitude of seismic waves recorded on a seismograph.
M_L = log₁₀(A / A₀), M_w = ⅔ log₁₀(M₀) - 6.07