| la niña | a periodic cooling of the ocean waters in the pacific ocean which affects global weather patterns |
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| lagoon | a small, shallow body of water between a barrier island or a coral reef and the mainland, also a small body of water surrounded by an atoll |
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| lahar | a volcanic mudflow |
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| latitude | angular degrees based on the equator; the equator is 0° latitude and the north pole is 90° north while the south pole is 90° south |
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| lava | magma that reaches the earth's surface through a volcanic vent or fissure |
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| lingua franca | the language used by a population as their common language |
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| lithification | the process by which sediments form sedimentary rock |
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| lithosphere | the soil and rock layer of the earth. |
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| loess | a fine-grained wind deposit of clay, sand, and silt |
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| longitude | angular degrees based on the prime merdidian (0°) at greenwich, london; degrees are east or west of greenwich and meet in the pacific ocean at 180° |
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