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lightning

(Encyclopedia)lightning, electrical discharge accompanied by thunder, commonly occurring during a thunderstorm. The discharge may take place between one part of a cloud and another part (intracloud), between one cl...

Majuro

(Encyclopedia)Majuro mäjo͞oˈrō [key], atoll and town (c.4 sq mi/10 sq km; 1988 pop. 19,664), capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Located in the Ratak Chain in the W central Pacific, Majuro has port...

Iliamna

(Encyclopedia)Iliamna ĭlēămˈnə [key], lake, c.1,000 sq mi (2,590 sq km), 75 mi (121 km) long and up to 22 mi (35 km) wide, SW Alaska, at the base of the Alaska Peninsula; largest lake in Alaska and the second ...

Induráin, Miguel

(Encyclopedia)Induráin, Miguel (Miguel Angel Induráin Larraya) mēgĕlˈ ängˈkhāl ĭndo͞oräˈēn läˈräyä [key], 1964–, Spanish bicycle racer. In a career lasting from 1985 to 1997, he dominated Europea...

New Zealand spinach

(Encyclopedia)New Zealand spinach, succulent annual (Tetragonia expansa) of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and S South America, grown for the edible leaves. The plant grows prostrate, often spreading to cover sever...

igloo

(Encyclopedia)igloo ĭgˈlo͞o [key] [Inuit,=house]. The Eskimos traditionally had three types of houses. A summer house, which was basically a tent, a winter house, which was usually partially dug into the ground ...

Stanley Cup

(Encyclopedia)Stanley Cup: see hockey, ice.

Vatnajökull

(Encyclopedia)Vatnajökull vätˈnäyöˈko͝ol [key], glacier, c.3,150 sq mi (8,160 sq km), SE Iceland; largest glacier in Europe. At an elevation of from 4,200 to 6,100 ft (1,280–1,860 m), it covers a huge volc...

Arctic, the

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Arctic, the northernmost area of the earth, centered on the North Pole. The arctic regions are not coextensive with the area enclosed by the Arctic Circle (lat. 66°30′N) but are usually defi...

calcium chloride

(Encyclopedia)calcium chloride, CaCl2, chemical compound that is crystalline, lumpy, or flaky, is usually white, and is very soluble in water. The anhydrous compound is hygroscopic; it rapidly absorbs water and is ...