(Encyclopedia) Colorado–Big Thompson project, constructed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to divert water from the headstreams of the Colorado River to irrigate c.720,000 acres (291,400 hectares)…
(Encyclopedia) chrysoberylchrysoberylkrĭsˈəbĕrˌĭl [key] [Gr.,=golden beryl], a beryllium aluminate used as a gem. It has a vitreous luster and is transparent to translucent. The more valuable cat's-…
(Encyclopedia) olivineolivineŏlĭvˈēn [key], an iron-magnesium silicate mineral, (Mg,Fe)2SiO4, crystallizing in the orthorhombic system. It is a common constituent of magnesium-rich, silica-poor…
(Encyclopedia) garnet, name applied to a group of isomorphic minerals crystallizing in the cubic system. They are used chiefly as gems and as abrasives (as in garnet paper). The garnets are double…
(Encyclopedia) EquisetophytaEquisetophytaĕkˌwəsətŏfˈətə [key], small division of the plant kingdom consisting of the plants commonly called horsetails and scouring rushes. Equisetum, the only living…
(Encyclopedia) bird of paradise, common name for any of 43 species of medium- to crow-sized passerine birds of New Guinea and the adjacent islands, known for the bright plumage, elongated tail…
(Encyclopedia) Herrera, Carmen, 1915–, Cuban-American abstract painter, b. Havana. After studying architecture at the Univ. of Havana (1938–39), she trained at the Art Students League, New York (1942…
(Encyclopedia) cover crop, green temporary crop grown to prevent or reduce erosion and to improve the soil by building up its organic content. Green-manure crops, which are specifically grown for…
(Encyclopedia) chloroplastchloroplastklōrˈəplăstˌ, klôrˈ– [key], a complex, discrete green structure, or organelle, contained in the cytoplasm of plant cells. Chloroplasts are reponsible for the…
