| GLOSSARY |
Our comprehensive earth science glossary is available to assist in your understanding of the MY NASA DATA microsets, lesson plans and computer tools. Please select the first letter of the word you wish to check for a definition and further information. |
| B |
| biomass: |
| The total mass of organic matter including living or dead plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste.
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| B |
| biomass burning: |
| refers to the burning of vegetation whether by wildfire or manmade causes; agricultural fields are often cleared by setting prescribed fires.
NASA Fact Sheet on biomass burning
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Image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team |
| B |
| blackbody: |
| A theoretically perfect absorber of all incident radiation, which then emits radiation as a function only of its own temperature. Pictured to the right is a blackbody used to calibrate the ERBE and CERES instruments.
Tool to explore blackbody emission spectrum
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Image courtesy NASA |
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