Definitions - k

K Value

The comparison of thermal conductivity can be measured by the 'k' value. The k value, or Thermal Conductivity, specifies the rate of heat transfer in any homogeneous material. If a material has a k value of 1, it means a 1m cube of material will transfer heat at a rate of 1 watt for every degree of temperature difference between opposite faces. The k value is expressed as 1 W/mK. The lower this value is, the less heat the material will transfer.

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K-Selection

Species in stable environments tend to live longer and produce fewer, and sometimes larger, offspring. (K is the constant for carrying capacity in terms of population growth.) This used to be true for whales before their environment was changed. See R-Selection.

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Kapok

Kapok trees produce a fluffy fiber in their seed pods. The kapok fiber is a substitute for down.

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Katabatic Wind

Electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). The amount that reaches the earth is equal to one billionth of total solar energy generated, or the equivalent of about 420 trillion kilowatt-hours.

Solar energy is the major driver of Earth's environment. About one 1kw per hour per meter square makes it way to the ground. Changes in solar energy over extended periods contributes to environmental shifts (Ice Ages).

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Kelp

Electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). The amount that reaches the earth is equal to one billionth of total solar energy generated, or the equivalent of about 420 trillion kilowatt-hours.

Solar energy is the major driver of Earth's environment. About one 1kw per hour per meter square makes it way to the ground. Changes in solar energy over extended periods contributes to environmental shifts (Ice Ages).

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Kerbside Recycling System

Where people sort out their recyclable waste, either into a box, bag or separate bin, and this is then collected from people's houses, like the ordinary waste collection.

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Kettle Hole

Depression or pond found in glacial deposits (see Kame Terrace). Left by a chunk of melted glacier.

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Kilowatt-Hour

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as global warming.

Wikipedia - Climate Change entry

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Kyoto Protocol

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