NATURAL LEVEE A natural embankment along the shore of a stream 

 deposited by overflow during floods. 



ORBITAL WAVE MOTION The orbital displacement of water as a wave 

 passes. 



ORTHOGONAL A line perpendicular to a wave crest. 



OOLITE Calcareous rounded particles ranging from egg-shaped to button- 

 shaped that are precipitated directly from sea water. 



PALEOENVIRONMENT An ancient environment that is reconstructed by 

 the evidence of fossils, bedding and sediment, or rock characteristics. 



PALEONTOLOGY The study of past geological history, primarily by 

 analysis of fossil remains of organisms. 



PALUDAL Pertaining to low water-covered land, such as swamps and 

 marshes. 



PALYNOLOGY The study of spores and pollen. Often used to help 

 reconstruct past enviromnents. 



PARALLAX The apparent displacement of an object due to a change in the 

 position of the observer. 



PEDOLOGY The science of soils. 



PHOSPHATIC Containing phosphate, usually in combination with other 

 elements, to form minerals. 



PLEISTOCENE A subdivision of the Quarternary period. The Pleistocene 

 encompasses the ice ages. 



QUATERNARY The period following the tertiary period and containing the 

 Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. 



RADIOCARBON DATE Age of a carbonaceous material derived from the 

 radioactive changes in carbon 14 through time. 



RADIOMETRIC Chronological age determined by study of suitable 

 radioactive substances. 



RELATIVE SEA LEVEL The level of land and sea in respect to one 



another. Changes in relative level may be due to eustatic sea level changes 

 or the vertical movement of the landraass. 



SALTATION The movement of sediment particles in a series of short jumps 

 from the bottom. 



Appendix A Glossary of Geologic Terms 



A5 



