Geography Glossary - E
ecology
The study of the interrelationships between life forms and their environment
ecumene
The inhabited (or inhabitable) area of the world. Nonecumene is the uninhabited area of the world
edge city
Commercial center located on the suburban periphery of a metropolitan area near major highway intersections. Coined by journalist Joel Garreau in his 1991 book Edge City: Life on the New Frontier
El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
A periodic warming of the ocean waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean which affects global weather patterns
environmental determinism
The belief that the environment is responsible for the development of a specific culture
epicenter
The point on the earth's surface directly above the hypocenter, where the energy of an earthquake is first released.
equator
Zero degrees latitude, divides the earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres
equinox
The beginning of autumn and spring, the two days each year when the sun is directly overhead at the equator
erosion
Forces that shape the earth's surface. Includes water, wind, and ice
estuary
The wide end of a river when it meets the sea; salty tidal water mixes with the fresh water of the river here