1Physische Geographie
Study of Earth's natural features and processes.
2Anthropogeographie (Humangeographie)
Study of human interaction with the environment.
3Alexander von Humboldt
Founder of modern geography.
4Kontinent
A large continuous landmass.
5Ozean
A very large expanse of sea.
6Meer
A large body of salt water.
7Staat
A politically organized territory with a government.
8Binnenland
A country with no direct access to the sea.
9Natur- und Kulturlandschaft
Natural and human-shaped environments.
10Lithosphäre
The rigid outer part of the earth.
11Pedosphäre
The outermost layer of Earth composed of soil.
12Hydrosphäre
All the water on the earth's surface.
13Kryosphäre
The frozen water part of the Earth system.
14Atmosphäre
The envelope of gases surrounding the Earth.
15Biosphäre
Regions of the Earth occupied by living organisms.
16Anthroposphäre
The part of the environment made by humans.
17Babylonisches Weltbild
Early Mesopotamian model of the universe.
18Geozentrisches Weltbild (Ptolemäus)
Earth-centered model of the universe.
19Heliozentrisches Weltbild (Kopernikus)
Sun-centered model of the universe.
20Erdumfang
The distance around the Earth.
21Rotationsellipsoid
A shape that resembles a flattened sphere.
22Geoid
Model of global mean sea level.
23Mondphasen
The different ways the Moon looks from Earth.
24Sonnen- und Mondfinsternis
Sun or Moon is obscured.
25Geomorphologie
The study of landforms and their development.
26Endogene und exogene Kräfte
Forces from inside and outside the Earth.
27Verwitterung
The breakdown of rocks at the Earth’s surface.
28Erosion (Abtragung)
The geological process of wearing away land.
29Akkumulation (Ablagerung)
The process of sediments being deposited.
30Mechanische Verwitterung
The physical breakdown of rocks without chemical change.
31Insolation
Exposure to the sun's rays.
32Frostsprengung
Rock breakdown due to water freezing in cracks.
33Chemische Verwitterung
The breakdown of rocks by chemical reactions.
34Kohlensäureverwitterung
Weathering of rock by carbonic acid.
35Oxidationsverwitterung
Rock breakdown through reaction with oxygen.
36fluvial
Relating to rivers and streams.
37glazial
Resulting from the presence or action of ice.
38äolisch
Relating to or arising from the wind.
39Fluvialmorphologie
The study of river forms and processes.
40Ober-, Mittel- und Unterlauf
Upper, middle, and lower course of a river.
41Mäander
A winding curve or bend of a river.
42Prall- u. Gleithang
Erosional and depositional banks of a meander.
43Umlaufberg
A hill surrounded by an old meander.
44Altlauf
An abandoned meander loop (oxbow lake).
45Einzugsgebiet
The area of land where water collects.
46Wasserscheide
The line separating neighbouring drainage basins.
47rückschreitende Erosion
The headward erosion of a river or stream.
48Seitenerosion
The lateral erosion that widens a river valley.
49Tiefenerosion
The downward erosion that deepens a river valley.
50Talformen
Different types of valley shapes.
51Schlucht
A deep, narrow valley with steep sides.
52V-Tal
A valley with a V-shaped cross-section.
53Canyon
A deep gorge, typically one with a river.
54Quertal (Klus)
A valley that cuts across a mountain range.
55rechte und linke Talseite
The right and left valley side, facing downstream.
56Erosionstrichter
A funnel-shaped erosional feature.
57Abflussrinne
A channel for water runoff.
58Schwemmfächer
A fan-shaped deposit of sediment.
59Delta
A landform created by deposition at river mouth.
60Murgang
A debris flow or mudflow.
61Flusskorrektion
The engineering of a river course.
62Linth-Korrektion
A specific river engineering project in Switzerland.
63Schutt (eckig)
Angular rock debris.
64Geröll (rund)
Rounded rock debris.
65Ton, Sand, Kies, Geröll/Block
Sediment sizes from fine to coarse.
66Glazialmorphologie
The study of landforms created by glaciers.
67Gletschereis (Festlandeis)
Ice on land, like continental ice sheets.
68Meereis (Treib- und Packeis)
Frozen ocean water, like drift and pack ice.
69Permafrost
Permanently frozen ground.
70Schneemetamorphose
The transformation of snow into glacial ice.
71Firn
Granular snow, especially on a glacier's upper part.
72Nähr- und Zehrgebiet
Accumulation and ablation zones of a glacier.
73Gleichgewichtslinie
Line separating a glacier's accumulation and ablation zones.
74klimatische Schneegrenze
Altitude above which snow remains year-round.
75Massenbilanz
The balance between ice accumulation and ablation.
76Gletschertypen
Different types of glaciers.
77Eisschild
A vast sheet of ice covering land.
78Talgletscher
A glacier that flows down a valley.
79kalben
The breaking off of ice from a glacier's edge.
80Gletscherschliff
A polished rock surface from glacial abrasion.
81Schliffgrenze
The upper limit of glacial polish on rock.
82Trogtal (U-Tal)
A U-shaped valley carved by a glacier.
83Fjord
A long, deep, narrow sea inlet.
84Rundhöcker
A rock outcrop shaped by a passing glacier.
85Luv- und Leeseite
The windward and leeward sides of a feature.
86Akkumulationsformen
Landforms created by glacial deposition.
87Grund-, Seiten-, Mittel-, Endmoräne
Types of moraines, or glacial debris deposits.
88Drumlin
An elongated hill of glacial drift.
89Findling
A large rock transported by a glacier.
90Paläoklima
The study of past climates.
91Quartäres Eiszeitalter
The Quaternary period of ice ages.
92Kaltzeiten
Glacial periods within an ice age.
93Warmzeiten
Interglacial periods within an ice age.
94Pleistozän
The geological epoch of the recent ice ages.
95Holozän
The current geological epoch.
96Karstmorphologie
The study of landforms shaped by dissolving rock.
97Kalk
Limestone, or calcium carbonate.
98Kohlendioxid
Carbon dioxide gas.
99Kohlensäure
Carbonic acid.
100Kalziumbikarbonat
Calcium bicarbonate.
101Lösungsformen
Landforms created by dissolution.
102Karren (Schratten)
Small grooves on a limestone surface.
103Doline
A closed depression in a karst region.
104Karstkegel
A cone-shaped hill in a karst landscape.
105Karsthöhle
A cave formed in soluble rock.
106Karstquelle
A spring emerging from a karst formation.
107Fällungsformen
Landforms created by the precipitation of minerals.
108Quelltuff
A porous rock from calcium carbonate deposits.
109Tropfsteine
Cave formations that form from dripping water.
110Stalagmiten/Stalaktiten
Grow from the floor/hang from the ceiling of caves.
111Wasserhärte
The amount of dissolved minerals in water.
112Sinterbildung
The formation of mineral deposits from water.
113Mathematische Geographie
The study of the Earth's size, shape, and motions.
114Pol
The northernmost or southernmost point of the Earth.
115Äquator
Imaginary line dividing Earth into two hemispheres.
116Gradnetz
A network of lines of latitude and longitude.
117Längenkreise, Meridiane
Lines of longitude running from pole to pole.
118Breitenkreise (Parallelkreise)
Lines of latitude parallel to the equator.
119Polar- und Wendekreise
Arctic/Antarctic Circles and Tropics of Cancer/Capricorn.
120London Greenwich
The location of the prime meridian.
121Nullmeridian
The prime meridian, at 0° longitude.
122Winkelgrad
A unit of angular measure.
123Bogenminute
One-sixtieth of a degree of arc.
124Bogensekunde
One-sixtieth of a minute of arc.
125Seemeile
A unit of distance used in maritime navigation.
126Erdbewegungen
The motions of the Earth.
127Erdrotation
The spinning of the Earth on its axis.
128Erdrevolution
The Earth's orbit around the Sun.
129Aphel
The point in an orbit farthest from the Sun.
130Perihel
The point in an orbit closest to the Sun.
131Schiefe der Ekliptik
The tilt of the Earth's rotational axis.
132Astronomische Jahreszeit
Seasons based on Earth's position in its orbit.
133Schaltjahr
A year with an extra day (February 29th).
134Solare Klimazonen
Climate zones based on solar radiation.
135tropisch, gemässigt, polar
The main climate zones (tropical, temperate, polar).
136Sonneneinfallswinkel
The angle at which sunlight strikes the Earth.
137Senkrechtstand (Zenit)
The sun is directly overhead at a 90° angle.
138Höchststand (Kulmination)
The highest point of the sun in the sky.
139Polarnacht
A period of 24-hour darkness within polar circles.
140Polartag
A period of 24-hour daylight within polar circles.
141Mitternachtssonne
The sun is visible at midnight in polar regions.
142Tagundnachtgleiche
The day and night are of equal length.
143Sonnenzeit (Ortszeit)
The time based on the sun's position.
144Zonenzeit
The standard time within a time zone.
145(Mitteleuropäische) Sommerzeit
Central European Summer Time.
146Zeitzonen
Regions of the globe with uniform standard time.
147Datumsgrenze
The line where the date changes by one day.
148UTC (Universal Time Coordinated)
The primary time standard for the world.
149Kartenkunde
The study of maps and mapmaking (cartography).
150Massstab
The ratio of a distance on the map.
151topographisch, thematisch, Landeskarten
Types of maps (topographic, thematic, national).
152Längen- und Höhenmassstab
Scale for horizontal and vertical distances.
153Landeskoordinaten
A national coordinate system for mapping.
154Ausgangspunkt/«Nullpunkt»
The origin point of a coordinate system.
155Ostwert, Nordwert
Easting and Northing coordinates.
156Kartenprojektionen
Methods of representing the globe on a plane.
157Zylinder-, Kegel-, Azimutalprojektion
Types of map projections.
158Kartentreue
The accuracy of a map's properties.
159winkeltreu, flächentreu, längentreu
Preserving angles, area, or distance on maps.
160Geländedarstellung
The representation of terrain on a map.
161Höhenlinien
Lines on a map connecting points of equal elevation.
162Schummerung
Shading to show relief on a map.
163Schraffen
Lines used to show slope on a map.
164Horizontal- und Schrägdistanz
Horizontal and slope distance on maps.
165Steigung/Gefälle
The gradient or slope of a surface.
166Überhöhung von Profilen
Vertical exaggeration in a profile view.
167Signaturen
Symbols used on a map.
168Generalisierung
Simplifying map features for clarity.
169Äquidistanz
The vertical interval between contour lines.
170Geodäsie
The science of measuring the Earth's shape.
171Satellitennavigationssysteme (GPS und Galileo)
Global satellite navigation systems.
172Geographische Informationssysteme (GIS)
Systems for capturing and analyzing spatial data.
173Vektor- und Rasterkarte
Two fundamental types of GIS data.
174Klima- und Wetterkunde
The study of climate and weather.
175Wetter
Short-term atmospheric conditions.
176Witterung
The general character of weather over days/weeks.
177Klima
Long-term average weather conditions.
178Meteorologie
The science of the atmosphere and weather forecasting.
179Klimatologie
The scientific study of climate.
180Troposphäre
The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere.
181Tropopause
The boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere.
182Stratosphäre
The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere.
183Inversion
An atmospheric layer where temperature increases with height.
184Luft (Gasgemisch)
The mixture of gases in the atmosphere.
185Ozon
A gas that absorbs harmful UV radiation.
186Aerosole
Tiny solid or liquid particles in the air.
187Klimafaktoren und Klimaelemente
Factors and elements that define a climate.
188Temperatur
A measure of the warmth or coldness.
189Thermometer
An instrument for measuring temperature.
190Grad Celsius, Kelvin
Units of temperature measurement.
191Temperaturgradient
The rate of temperature change with distance.
192trocken- und feuchtadiabatische Abkühlung
Cooling of air as it rises.
193Strahlung
The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves.
194Ein- und Ausstrahlung
Incoming and outgoing radiation.
195Solarkonstante
The solar energy received per unit area.
196Ultraviolett, Licht, Infrarot
Types of electromagnetic radiation.
197Reflexion
The bouncing back of light, heat, or sound.
198Albedo
The proportion of light reflected by a surface.
199Absorption
The process of taking in energy.
200Emission
The production and discharge of something.
201Luftdruck
The pressure exerted by the atmosphere.
202Normal-, Hoch- und Tiefdruck
Standard, high, and low atmospheric pressure.
203Isobaren
Lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.
204Barometer
An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.
205Hektopascal
A unit of pressure.
206Wind
The natural movement of the air.
207Windfahne
A device that shows the direction of the wind.
208Windrose
A diagram showing wind direction distribution.
209Anemometer
An instrument for measuring wind speed.
210Beaufort
A scale for measuring wind speed.
211Knoten
A unit of speed (one nautical mile per hour).
212Lokale Windsysteme
Winds that occur on a local scale.
213Passatwinde
Prevailing easterly winds in the tropics.
214West- und Ostwinde
Prevailing winds from the west or east.
215Corioliskraft
The effect of Earth's rotation on moving objects.
216Planetarisches Windsystem
The global system of winds.
217Polarfront
The boundary between polar and warmer air masses.
218Jetstream
Fast flowing, narrow air currents.
219Polare Hochdruckzone (Kaltluft)
A high-pressure area of cold polar air.
220subpolare Tiefdruckzone
A low-pressure belt near the poles.
221subtropische Hochdruckzone (Warmluft)
A high-pressure belt in the subtropics.
222Innertropische Konvergenzzone (ITC)
The zone where trade winds converge near the equator.
223thermisches und dynamisches Tiefdruckgebiet
Low-pressure areas caused by heat or motion.
224Zyklonenmodell
A model of a cyclonic storm system.
225Kalt- und Warmfront
The boundaries between cold and warm air masses.
226Okklusion
When a cold front overtakes a warm front.
227Monsun
A seasonal reversing wind with precipitation changes.
228Trocken- und Regenzeit
Seasons characterized by dryness or rainfall.
229Nebel, Regen, Tau, Reif, Schnee, Hagel
Forms of precipitation and condensation.
230Verdunstung
The process of a liquid turning into a vapor.
231Kondensation
The process of a vapor turning into a liquid.
232Kondensationsniveau
The altitude where water vapor condenses into clouds.
233Steigungsniederschlag
Precipitation created by air forced up mountains.
234Sättigungskurve
A graph showing maximum water vapor air can hold.
235Taupunkt
The temperature at which air becomes saturated.
236Übersättigung
Air holding more water vapor than saturated.
237absolute, maximale und relative Luftfeuchtigkeit
Measures of water vapor content in the air.
238Hygrometer
An instrument for measuring humidity.
239Pluviometer
An instrument for measuring rainfall (rain gauge).
240MeteoSchweiz
Switzerland's national weather and climate service.
241Wetterstation
A facility with instruments for observing weather.
242automatisches Messnetz
A network of automated weather stations.
243Wetterkarte
A map showing meteorological features over an area.
244Klimadiagramm
A graph showing average temperature and precipitation.
245maritim, kontinental, polar, tropisch, arid, humid
Climate types (oceanic, continental, polar, tropical, dry, wet).
246Vegetationszonen
Belts of plant life.
247Tropischer Regenwald
A forest in a tropical climate with no dry season.
248Savanne
A grassland ecosystem with scattered trees.
249Wüste
A barren area with little precipitation.
250Subtropische Hartlaubgewächse
Vegetation adapted to hot, dry summers.
251Steppe
A large area of flat, unforested grassland.
252Mischwald
A forest with both coniferous and deciduous trees.
253Borealer Nadelwald (Taiga)
A biome characterized by coniferous forests.
254Tundra
A vast, flat, treeless Arctic region.
255Wetterlagen
General weather situations.
256Nord- und Südföhn
A warm, dry downslope wind.
257Bise
A cold, dry wind in Switzerland and France.
258Westwind
A wind blowing from the west.
259Flache Druckverteilung und Hochdrucklage
A weak pressure gradient and high-pressure system.
260Cirrus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Stratus
The main cloud genera.
261Klimaänderung
A long-term change in average weather patterns.
262Treibhaus-Effekt
Warming from atmospheric trapping of heat.
263Kohlenstoffkreislauf
The circulation of carbon in the environment.
264IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
265Pariser Abkommen
An international treaty on climate change.
266\$CO_{2}\$-Äquivalent
A measure to compare emissions of greenhouse gases.
267Positive Rückkopplung
A process that amplifies an initial change.
268Klimawirksame Gase
Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect.
269Kohlendioxid, Methan, Lachgas
Major greenhouse gases.
270tropo- u. stratosphärisches Ozon
Ozone in the troposphere and stratosphere.
271Wasserdampf
The gaseous phase of water, a greenhouse gas.
272Geologie
The science of the Earth's physical structure.
273Schalenbau
The layered structure of the Earth's interior.
274kontinentale u. ozeanische Kruste
The Earth's outermost layer (continental and oceanic).
275Asthenosphäre
The plastic layer below the lithosphere.
276oberer und unterer Mantel
The two parts of the Earth's mantle.
277äusserer und innerer Kern
The liquid outer and solid inner core.
278Moho-Diskontinuität
The boundary between the crust and the mantle.
279Geothermischer Gradient
The rate of temperature increase with depth.
280Seismologie
The scientific study of earthquakes.
281Erdbeben
A sudden violent shaking of the ground.
282Tsunami
A large ocean wave caused by tectonic activity.
283Mercalli-Skala
A scale measuring the intensity of an earthquake.
284Magnitude nach Richter
A scale measuring earthquake energy release.
285Momenten-Magnitude
A more accurate measure of an earthquake's size.
286Raumwellen (P- und S-Wellen)
Seismic waves that travel through Earth's interior.
287Oberflächenwellen
Seismic waves that travel along the surface.
288Seismograph und -gramm
An instrument and record of earthquake waves.
289Hypo- und Epizentrum
The focus and surface point of an earthquake.
290Flach- und Tiefbeben
Earthquakes with shallow or deep origins.
291Altersbestimmung
The determination of the age of an object.
292relativ und absolut
Dating methods (comparative vs. specific age).
293Dendrochronologie (Ewiger Baum)
Tree-ring dating.
294Paläomagnetismus
The study of the record of Earth's magnetic field.
295Radiometrische Altersbestimmung
A dating technique using radioactive decay.
296Isotop
A variant of a chemical element.
297Halbwertszeit
The time for a substance to decay by half.
298C-Methode
The radiocarbon dating method.
299Geologische Zeittafel
A chronological chart relating stratigraphy to time.
300Ären: Käno-, Meso- und Paläozoikum, Präkambrium
Major divisions of geological time.