List organized alphabetically from A to Z. Some terms excluded for conciseness or local usage. List serves as living document subject to updates
Lakes are large, fixed bodies of water on Earth's surface. Most lakes are freshwater, some are salt lakes. Lakes vary in size from 2 to 8 hectares. Lakes are temporary and fill with sediments over time
Tributary is a stream flowing into a larger river or lake. Tributaries drain surrounding drainage basin, not directly into sea. Irtysh is world's longest tributary at 4,248 km. Madeira River is largest tributary by volume at 31,200 m3/s
Fulgurites are natural tubes formed when lightning strikes ground. Lightning discharges can bridge potential differences exceeding 100 million volts. Peak temperatures in lightning channels exceed 30,000 K. Chemical composition varies based on struck material properties
Honeycomb is hexagonal prismatic cells built from beeswax by honey bees. Bees consume 8.4 lb honey to secrete 1 lb of wax. Cells slope 9-14° towards open ends. Cells are slightly offset from each other for strength
Lagoon is a shallow coastal area separated from open sea by barrier. Barriers can be sandy features or coral reefs. Lagoon depths maintained by sedimentation and calcareous material