CSN Process Names

  CSDMS Standard Names — Process Names

• CSDMS Standard Names require an "object" part and a "quantity" part. Sometimes the quantity part contains a process name as a modifier to a base quantity, as in "snow_melt_rate", where the process is "melting". The process is an action that applies to the object in the object part of the name. This quantity name pattern is very common and we call it the Process_name + Quantity Pattern.

• Process names are typically nouns derived from verbs, usually ending with:

"tion" (absorption, convection, radiation),
"sion" (conversion, dispersion, submersion),
"ing"  (melting, swimming, upwelling),
"age"  (drainage, seepage, storage),
"y"    (discovery, recovery, reentry),
"ance" (acceptance, disturbance, maintenence),
"ment" (alignment, improvement, recruitment),
"al"   (arrival, disposal, removal, retrieval) and
"sis"  (osmosis, metamorphosis, dialysis, paralysis).

• The "ing" ending is often dropped, as in:

birth, boil, burn, creep, flow, icefall, inflow, lapse, launch, melt,
outflow, rainfall, rest, shear, snowfall, start, stop, throughfall and tilt.

• "Rainfall" is a somewhat unusual example in that the relevant object (rain) and the associated process (falling) have been fused to create the process name. Adding the object part in front would mean repeating the word rain. But "rain" is also a verb and "raining" is therefore a valid process name, but only for liquid water. The CSDMS Standard Names avoid this issue by using the process name "precipitation" instead of "rainfall" or "raining" and then specifying the object that is precipitating, such as "water" or perhaps "methane" for Titan. Since water can precipitate in liquid or solid form, each with a different density, precipitation rates are often quantified as "liquid water equivalent". The corresponding CSDMS standard name is: "atmosphere_water__liquid_equivalent_precipitation_rate", which generalizes to other substances (like methane on Titan). We similarly have "snow__liquid_equivalent_depth". See: Precipitation (chemistry) and Precipitation (meteorology).

• "Sunrise" and "sunset" have all of the same issues as "rainfall". Note that "sun" can be used as both a noun and a verb and "sunning" can therefore be a process name. "Rise" is short for "rising" and "set" is short for "setting". A "rising_time" and "setting_time" can be defined for any celestial body and for any observing point on Earth.

• Process names can almost always be paired with "_rate" in order to quantify how fast the process/action occurs, and this then creates a quantity name. The word "rate" usually indicates "per unit time". However, there may be other variable names associated with the process that do not contain the process name.

• Some process names may be naturally paired with an ending other than (or in addition to) "_rate", such as

dilution_ratio
drainage_area
escape_speed
gestation_period
identification_number
inclination_angle
penetration_depth
relaxation_time
striking_distance
turning_radius
vibration_frequency

• Cracking is a good example of a process name that is used with a different meaning depending on the object, which therefore highlights the importance of the object part of CSDMS Standard Names. For example:

corn cracking
ice cracking
joke cracking
molecule cracking  (chemistry)
nut cracking
password cracking
safe cracking
whip cracking

• Note that "equinox" and "solstice" are included in this list of process names, even though we don't associate them with verbs and think of them as phenomena or events. The word "solstice" comes from the Latin for "sun standing" or "sun stoppage". The word "equinox" comes from the Latin for "equal night", since then day and night are about the same length. Note that most other astronomical events such as "eclipse", "conjunction" and "occultation" do have associated verbs (eclipse, conjoin, occult). Sunrise and sunset are discussed above. With this convention, "vernal_equinox_time" and "summer_solstice_time" conform to the Process_name + Quantity Pattern.

• Note that a "tion" ending creates a noun while a "tive" ending creates an advective. Common examples are:

conduction   vs. conductive
convection   vs. convective
radiation    vs. radiative
reproduction vs. reproductive

• Some words are created by combining two processes, with the first in adjective form, as in: "radiative_transfer" and "convective_transport".

• Note that "friction" is not included in this list of process names. It is really a force rather than a process and doesn't fit the verb-to-noun pattern. The adjective "frictional" is used in terms like "frictional_momentum_loss_rate" (related to shear_stress); i.e. the frictional force causes momentum loss. A Google search indicates that "friction_rate" is sometimes used in connection with air ducts. The word "traction" has similar issues.

• There are many process names that fit the "verb-to-noun" pattern but that aren't typically used in the sciences. Many examples can be found in economics, manufacturing and horticulture, for example. Several of these have been collected in a separate document: CSDMS_Standard_Name_Processes_Extra.txt.

• The alphabetical list of process names listed below continues to grow. It contained 744 process names as of September 21, 2012. Each process name is followed by the associated verb, in parentheses.

A

abatement (abate)
ablation (ablate)
abrasion (abrade)
absorption (absorb)
abstraction (abstract)   (synonym for extraction of water)
acceleration (accelerate)
acclimatization (acclimatize)   (called "acclimation" in the UK)
accommodation (accommodate)   (e.g. accomodation_space)
accretion (accrete)  (in CF)
accumulation (accumulate)   (in CF)
acidification (acidify)
acquisition (acquire)
action (act)
activation (activate)    (e.g. activation_energy)
actuation (actuate)      (e.g. actuation_rate)
adaptation (adapt)
addition (add)   (see division, multiplication, subtraction)
adjustment (adjust)
adsorption (adsorb)   (see absorption, desorption, sorption)
advection  (advect)
aeration (aerate)
aging (age)
aggradation (aggrade)   (see "progradation")
aggregation (aggregate)   (e.g. diffusion-limited aggregation or DLA)
airflow (airflow)
aliasing (alias)    (also "anti-aliasing)
alleviation (alleviate)
alignment (align)            (e.g. of planets)
allotment (allot)
alteration (alter)
alternating (alternate)
amortization (amortize)
amplification (amplify)
animation (animate)          (e.g. suspended animation)
annealing (anneal)
annihilation (annihilate)    (e.g. matter and antimatter)
antibiosis (verb form ??)
application (apply)  (e.g. sunscreen)
appulse (appulse)    (e.g. in astronomy)
aridification (aridify)
armoring (armor)             (e.g. stream bed armoring)
arresting (arrest)           (e.g. arrested development)
arrival (arrive)
ascension (ascend)    (e.g. in astronomy)
ascent (ascend)
assessment (assess)
assimilation (assimilate)    (e.g. protein_assimilation_rate)
attachment (attach, attaching)    (see detachment)
attack (attack, attacking)   (e.g. in medical context, also attack_angle of airfoil)
attainment (attain)
attenuation (attenuate)
attraction (attract)         (e.g. planets and atoms)
augmentation (augment)
austempering (austemper)        (hardening process for metals)
austenitization (austenitize)   (heating process for metals)
autoconversion (autoconvert)  (in CF)
avalanching (avalanche)   (e.g. avalanching_rate)
averaging (average)
aversion (avert)     (e.g. risk_aversion)
avoidance (avoid)    (e.g. zone of avoidance in astronomy)
avulsion (avulse)

B

backcrossing (backcross)   (e.g. in genetics)
backflow (backflow)
backlash (backlash, backlashing)
backscattering (backscatter)   (preferred to: backwards_scattering ??)
balancing (balance)
baseflow (baseflow)
basification (basify)
bearing (bear)   (e.g. load bearing capacity)
belaying (belay)
bending (bend)
bifurcation (bifurcate)
binding (bind)
binning (bin)
biodegradation (biodegrade)   (see degradation)
bioluminescence (bioluminesce ??)  (see fluorescence)
bioturbation (bioturbate  ??)
birth (birth, birthing)  (more an event than a process?)
blasting (blast)    (e.g. abrasive blasting) 
bleaching (bleach)  (e.g. coral bleaching)
blocking (block)
blowing (blow)      (e.g. blowing snow)
boiling (boil)
bombardment (bombard)   (e.g. elementary particles, cratering)
bonding (bond)
boring (bore)       (drilling)
borrowing (borrow)
braiding (braid)
braking (brake)   (e.g. braking_distance)
branching (branch)   (e.g. branching_ratio)
breaching (breach)   (e.g. levee_breaching)
breaking (break)     (e.g. breaking_point)
breakup (breakup)    (e.g. drops and bubbles, ice breakup)
breathing (breathe)    (there is a power law for breathing rate vs. body mass)
brewing (brew)
bridging (bridge)
brumation (brumate)   (similar to hibernation, for reptiles)
bubbling (bubble)    (e.g. bubbling_pressure_head)
buckling (buckle)   (e.g. support columns)
budding (bud)
buffering (buffer)
buffeting (buffet)     (e.g. in aerodynamics)
buoyancy (buoy, buoyance)   (e.g. larvae_buoyancy_rate;  see sinking)
burial (bury, burying)
burning (burn)
burrowing (burrow)
bursting (burst)
bypass (bypass, bypassing)

C

caching (cache)
calibration (calibrate)
calving (calve)
camouflaging (camouflage)
cancellation (cancel)   (e.g. noise cancellation)
capping (cap)    (e.g. capping a well;   see white-capping waves)
capturing (capture)
carrying (carry)   (e.g. carrying capacity)
carving (carve)      (glaciers "carve" valleys)
catalyzing (catalyze)
catching (catch)
cavitation (cavitate)
cementing (cement)
centering (center)
cessation (cease)
chafing (chafe)    (a medical and nautical term)
chambering (chamber)    (in firearms and martial arts)
chelation (chelate)
chemosynthesis (chemosynthesize)
circling (circle)
circulation (circulate)
clamping (clamp)
cleaning (clean)
clearance (clear)    (e.g. vehicle clearance, also in genetics)
clearcutting (clearcut)
clearing (clear)
cleavage (cleave)
climbing (climb)
clogging (clog)
cloning (clone)
closing (close)
closure (close)   (e.g. turbulence closure)
clotting (clot)
clumping (clump)
clustering (cluster)
coagulation (coagulate, coagulating)
coalescence (coalesce)    (droplets: coalescence_rate vs. rupturing_rate)
coexistence (coexist)
cognition (???)
cohesion (cohere)
coiling (coil)
coincidence (coincide)
collapse (collapse, collapsing)
collection (collect)
collision (collide)       (e.g. atomic and subatomic particles)
colonization (colonize)
combustion (combust)
compactification (compactify)     (e.g in string theory)
compaction (compact)
competition (compete)   (e.g. species)
completion (complete)
complexation (complexate)   (chemistry)
compounding (compound)
compensation (compensate, compensating)  (e.g. frequency_compensation in EE)
compression (compress)
concealment (conceal)
conception (conceive)
condensation  (condense)
conditioning (condition)
conduction (conduct)
confining (confine)  (e.g. confining_pressure)
confinement (confine)  (e.g. atoms, fusion)
congelation (congeal ??)  (in CF)
conjugation (conjugate)   (e.g. bacterial conjugation)
conjunction (conjoin)   (in astronomy)
connection (connect)
conservation (conserve)
conserving (conserve)    (e.g. mass-conserving system)
consolidation (consolidate)   (e.g. in soils; see compaction)
consumption  (consume)   (e.g. fuel_consumption)
containment (contain)    (e.g. "containment field")
contamination (contaminate)
contraction (contract)    (see expansion)
contributing (contribute)    (e.g. total_contributing_area)
control (control, controlling)
convection (convect, convecting, convective)
convergence (converge)
conversion (convert)
convolution (convolute)
cooling (cool)
cooperation (cooperate)  (animal behavior)
coordination (coordinate)
coping (cope)  (e.g. coping mechanism)
coppicing (coppice)
copying (copy)    (e.g. DNA and RNA;  see replication)
corrasion (corrade)
correction (correct)   (also a Base Quantity)
correlation (correlate)    (e.g. correlation_coefficient)
corrosion (corrode, corroding)
coupling (couple)
courting (court, courtship)  (animal behavior)
coverage (cover)      (e.g. coverage processes)
covering (cover)
cracking (crack)
cratering (crater)    (see pitting, impact)
creation (create)  (e.g. job_creation, in economics)
creep  (creep, creeping)
cresting (crest)
crimping (crimp)
crossing (cross)
crystallization (crystallize)
culmination (culminate)    (e.g. culmination time)
cultivation (cultivate)
curving (curve, curvature)
cutting (cut)
cycling (cycle)   (e.g. carbon cycling)

D

damage (damage, damaging)
damming (dam)    (see impounding)
dampening (dampen)
damping (damp)
dating (date)
deactivation (deactivate)
death (death, mortality)
deburring (deburr)
decay (decay, decaying)   (e.g. decay_rate, exponential_decay)
deceleration (decelerate)
decimation (decimate)
decision (decide)
declination (decline)
decomposition (decompose)
defenestration (defenestrate)
deflation (deflate)
defoliation (defoliate)
deforestation (deforest)
deformation (deform)    (e.g. crustal deformation)
degradation (degrade)     (e.g. soil degradation; see biodegradation)
dehydration (dehydrate)   (see hydration, desiccation)
deionization (deionize)   (see ionization)
delay (delay, delaying)   (e.g. delay_factor)
delineation (delineate)
delivery (deliver)     (e.g. with drugs, or giving birth)
demarcation (demarcate)
demolition (demolish)
denaturation (denature)   (e.g. of proteins)
denitrification (denitrify)  (in CF)
denoising (denoise)
densification (densify)
denudation (denude)
departure (depart)
depletion (deplete)      (e.g. fossil_fuel_depletion, oxygen_depletion & hypoxia)
deployment (deploy)
deposition (deposit)
depression (depress)
deprivation (deprive)
derailment (derail)
desalination (desalinate;  also desalinize, desalinization)
descension (descend, descending)
desertification (desertify)
desorption (desorb)
desiccation (desiccate)
destruction (destruct or destroy)
detachment (detach)      (e.g. detachment_limited;  see attachment)
detection (detect)
deterioration (deteriorate)
deterrence (deter)
detonation (detonate)
detoxification (detoxify)
detrainment (detrain)   (in CF;  see entrainment)
deviation (deviate)     (e.g. standard_deviation;  also an operation_prefix ?)
dew  (dew, dewing)      (e.g. dew_point;  "dewing" is OK but seldom used; see melt/melting)
dewatering (dewater)
dialysis (dialyze)
differentiation (differentiate)
diffraction (diffract)    (see refraction)
diffusion  (diffuse)
digestion (digest)
digging (dig)
dilation (dilate)
dilution (dilute)
dimming (dim)   (e.g. "global dimming")
dipping (dip)
direction (direct)
disappearance (disappear)   (e.g. of a species)
discharge  (discharge, discharging)   (discharge_rate = stream_flow_rate ?)
discovery (discover)
disgregation (disgregate)   (See: Disgregation.)
dislocation (dislocate)
dispersal (disperse)
dispersion (disperse)
displacement (displace)
disposal (dispose)
disposing (dispose)
disruption (disrupt)
dissipation (dissipate)  (in CF)
dissociation (dissociate)   (e.g. bond_dissociation_energy)
dissolution (dissolve)
distillation (distill)
distortion (distort)
distribution (distribute)
disturbance (disturb)   (e.g. disturbance_frequency, fires)
divergence (diverge)
diversion (divert)      (e.g. of flows)
diving (dive)
division (divide)       (cell_division_rate)
docking (dock)
dosing (dose)
doubling (double)
downburst (downburst, downbursting)   (e.g. microburst, macroburst)
downcutting (downcut)
downdraft (downdraft, downdrafting)   (see updraft)
downscaling (downscale)
downturn (downturn, downturning)
downwelling  (but "downwell" is not a word)
drafting (draft)  (e.g. bicycle drafting)
drag (drag, dragging)    (in aerodynamics;  see lift, thrust)
drainage  (drain, draining)
drawdown (drawdown)   (from "drawing down")
dredging (dredge)
drifting (drift)    (e.g. snow_drifting, particle_drifting, car_drifting, drift_velocity)
drilling (drill)
dripping (drip)   (e.g. in irrigation)
driving (drive)    (e.g. driving_force;  see forcing)
drought  #############
drowning (drown)   (also for plants)
drying (dry)
duplication (duplicate)   (e.g. DNA, gene duplication)

E

echoing (echo)
eclipsing (eclipse)
egress (egress)     (e.g. signal egress, or leakage in cables; see ingress)
ejection (eject)
electrification (electrify)
electrocution (electrocute)
elimination (eliminate)
elongation (elongate)
embarcation (embark)
embrittlement (embrittle)
emergence (emerge)
emigration (emigrate)
emission (emit)               (e.g. particle emission)
emulsification (emulsify)
encapsulation (encapsulate)
encasement (encase, encasing)  (e.g. glass or resin encasement)
encroachment (encroach)
enforcement (enforce)
enrichment (enrich)   (e.g of uranium)
entanglement (entangle)    (e.g. quantum entanglement)
entrainment (entrain)
entrance (enter)         (e.g. entrance_speed)
equalization (equalize)     (e.g. equalization_pressure)
equilibration (equilibrate)
equinox (equinox, "equinoxing")    (e.g. equinox_time; as something the earth is doing)
eradication (eradicate)
erosion (erode)
eruption (erupt)   (e.g. volcanic)
escape (escape, escaping)     (e.g earth_escape_speed)
establishment  (e.g. zone of flow establishment)
estivation (estivate)   (similar to hibernation)
eutrophication (eutrophicate)
evaluation (evaluate)
evaporation (evaporate)
evapotranspiration (evapotranspirate)
evolution (evolve)
examination (examine)
excavation (excavate)
exceedance (exceed)
exchange (exchange, exchanging)      (e.g. bulk_exchange_coefficient)
excitation (excite)     (see inhibition)
exclusion (exclude)
excretion (excrete)
exertion (exert)
exfiltration (exfiltrate)     (opposite of infiltrate)
exfoliation (exfoliate)
exhaust  (exhaust, exhausting)   (e.g. from an automobile)
exhaustion (exhaust)
existence (exist)
exit (exit, exiting)    (e.g. rocket_nozzle_exit_speed)
exodus
expansion (expand)      (see contraction)
explosion (explode)     (see implosion)
exporting (export)  ??  (see import)
exposure (expose)
expression (express)
expulsion (expel)
extension (extend)
extinction (extinct)  (extinct is also a verb, from "extinguish")
extinguishment (extinguish)
extraction (extract)    (e.g. of water;  see abstraction)
extrapolation (extrapolate)
extravasation (extravasate)   (e.g. lava from a volcano)
extrusion (extrude)
exudation (exude)

F

fading (fade)
failure (fail, failing)
falling (fall)
fallout (fallout)
fastening (fasten)
faulting (fault)    (e.g. detachment_faulting, thrust_faulting)
feedback (feedback, "feeding back")
feeding (feed)
fermentation (ferment)
fertilization (fertilize, fertilizing)
filamentation (filament)  (e.g. in bacterial growth)
filling (fill)
filtering (filter)
filtration (filtrate)
finding (find)    (e.g. root finding)
fingering (finger)  (e.g. viscous fingering)
fining (fine)   (e.g. downstream fining of grain size)
firing (fire)          (neuron_firing_rate)
fission (fission)     (e.g. nuclear_fission, cell_fission; verb and noun)
fixation (fixate)   (in CF)
flattening (flatten)      (e.g. ellipsoid flattening ratio)
flexure (flex)
flight (fly, flying)    (e.g. flying_time)
floating (float)
flocculation (flocculate)
flood (flood, flooding)
flotation (float)
flow (flow, flowing)   (e.g. sea_water_flow_speed)
fluctuation (fluctuate)
fluorescence (fluoresce)   (see bioluminescence)
flushing (flush)
flutter (flutter, fluttering)    (see: Flutter.)
flying (fly)
focusing (focus)
folding (fold)     (e.g. protein_folding and in geology)
following (follow)   (e.g. terrain following coordinates)
foraging (forage)
forcing (force)
forging (forge)
formation  (form)
fouling (foul)
fractionization (fractionize)
fracturing (fracture)   (e.g. hydraulic_fracturing or "hydrofracking")
fragmentation (fragment)
freezing   (freeze)
freshening (freshen)  (of salt water)
fumigation (fumigate)
fusion (fuse)

G

gaining  (gain)
galling (gall)  (e.g. thread galling)
gathering (gather)
generation (generate, generating)
genesis (generate ?)
germination (germinate)
glaciation (glaciate)   (also used in cloud physics)
glowing (glow)    (see illumination, phosphorescence, fluorescence)
governing (govern)    (e.g. governing equations)
grafting (graft)
gravitation (gravitate)
grazing (graze)   (and overgrazing)
gridding (grid)
grinding (grind)
grounding (ground)
growing  (grow)    (e.g. growing_season)
growth  (grow)   (e.g. population_mean_growth_rate)
guidance (guide)   (e.g. missile guidance system)
guiding (guide)
gyration (gyrate)  (e.g. gyration_rate of a gyre)

H

hadronization (hadronize)   (forming hadrons out of quarks and gluons)
hardening (harden)    (see softening)
harvest (harvest, harvesting)
heating (heat)
heaving (heave)   (e.g. frost_heaving)
hibernation (hibernate)
hiding (hiding)   (e.g. hiding factor ??)
hitting (hit)     (e.g. hit_rate ??)
hoarding (hoard)  (e.g. animal behavior)
humidification (humidify)
hunting (hunt)
hydration (hydrate)
hydroplaning (hydroplane)

I

icefall  (icefall, "icefalling")   (see rainfall, snowfall)
icing (ice, like "ice up")
icepush (icepush, "icepushing")  ###### ????  (see ridging)
identification (identify)
idling (idle)
ignition (ignite)
illumination (illuminate)
immersion (immerse)
immigration (immigrate)   (see emigration)
impact (impact, impaction)    (e.g. crater_formation)
impedance (impede)
impinging (impinge)
implantation (implant)
implosion (implode)
importing (import)  ??  (see export)
impounding (impound)    (damming;  Note: impoundment refers to the reservoir ??)
impregnation (impregnate)
improvement (improve)
incineration (incinerate)
incision (incise)
inclination (incline)
inclusion (include)
incubation (incubate)    (e.g. incubation_period)
indication (indicate)
induction (induce)       (e.g. induction_period in chemical kinetics)
inebriation (inebriate)
infection (infect)
infiltration (infiltrate)
inflation (inflate)      (e.g. cosmic_inflation, tire inflation)
inflow (inflow, inflowing)
influence (influence, influencing)
infusion (infuse)
ingestion (ingest)
ingress (ingress)        (e.g. signal ingress, or leakage into cables; see egress)
inhalation (inhale)
inheritance (inherit)    (in genetics)
inhibition (inhibit)     (see excitation)
initialization (initialize)
injection (inject)       (injection_rate in a well)
inoculation (inoculate)
insertion (insert)
insolation (insolate)    (at ground; "solar irradiation constant" minus losses in atmosphere)
installation (install)
insulation (insulate)
intake (intake, intaking)
integration (integrate)
intensification (intensify)
interaction (interact)        (e.g. wave_wave_ or wave_current_interaction ??)
intercalation (intercalate)   (e.g. intercalated DNA)
interception (intercept)
interconnection (interconnect)
interference (interfere)      (e.g. waves)
interflow (interflow)     (see baseflow, throughflow)
intermingling (intermingle)
intersection (intersect)
interspersal (intersperse)
interpolation (interpolate)
intoxication (intoxicate)
introgression (introgress)    (e.g. in genetics, also introgressive hybridization)
intrusion (intrude)           (e.g. salt_water_intrusion)
inundation (inundate)         (e.g. flood_plain_inundation)
invasion (invade)
inversion (inverse)           (e.g. atmospheric_inversion, thermal_inversion)
ionization (ionize)
irradiation (irradiate)       (see "insolation")
irrigation (irrigate)
irritation (irritate)
isolation (isolate)
iteration (iterate)

J

jacking (jack)  (e.g. jacking up a car)
jackknifing (jackknife)
jetting (jet)  (e.g. carburetor jetting)
jumping (jump)

K

kinking (kink)
knocking (knock)

L

lag (lag, lagging)      (e.g. lag_time)
landfall (landfall)     (e.g. hurricane_landfall_rate ??)
lapse (lapse, lapsing)  (e.g. lapse_rate of an atmospheric variable, usuaally temperature)
lashing (lash)
lateration (laterate)   (also: "unilateration", "trilateration", "multilateration"; see "ranging")
launching (launch)
laying (lay)
leaching (leach)   (e.g. leaching into soil)
lead (lead, leading)   (e.g. lead_time for disaster warnings)
leakage (leak, leaking)
leveling (level)
levitation (levitate)  (e.g. magnetic levitation)
libration (librate)      (See: Libration.)
lifting (lift)         (in aerodynamics;  see drag, thrust)
ligation (ligate)
linkage (link)
liquefaction (liquefy or liquify)
loading (load)           (e.g. beam_loading)
locking (lock)    (e.g. tidal locking)
locomotion (locomote)    (e.g. aquatic_locomotion, animal self movement)
logging (log)   (i.e. tree cutting)
loss (lose, losing)
lowering (lower)
lubrication (lubricate)
luminescence (luminesce)   (See: Luminescence for many kinds.)

M

machining (machine)
magnetization (magnetize)
magnification (magnify)   (e.g. magnification_factor)
maintenance (maintain)
management (manage)
maneuvering (maneuver)
mapping (map)
marching (march)
marking (mark)
martempering (martemper)  (heat treatment for steel)
masking (mask)
matching (match)
mating (mate)  (animal behavior)
maturation (mature)
maximization (maximize)
meandering (meander)
measurement (measure, measuring)
mediation (mediate)    (e.g. semantic_mediation)
meeting (meet)
melt   (melt, melting)
merging (merge)
metabolizing (metabolize, metabolization?, metabolic?)   (e.g. "basal metabolic rate", "resting metabolic rate")
metamorphosis (metamorphose, metamorphism)
migration (migrate)     (e.g. animals or river channels)
milling (mill)
minimization (minimize)
mining (mine)
missing (miss)
mitigation (mitigate)
mixing (mix)     (e.g. prandtl_mixing_length)
mobilization (mobilize)
modulation (modulate)
monitoring (monitor)
motion (move)   (motion_rate = velocity)
movement (move)  (e.g. mass movement)
multiplication (multiply)
mutation (mutate)

N

navigation (navigate)
nesting (nest)    (e.g. a fine grid within a coarse grid)
neutralization (neutralize)    (e.g. an odor)
nitrification (nitrify)  (see denitrification)
nourishment (nourish)  (e.g. beach nourishment)
nucleation (nucleate)
nudging (nudge)      (e.g., in climate models)
nullification (nullify)
nutation (nutate)    (in astronomy;  see precession)

O

obliteration (obliterate)
observation (observe)
obstruction (obstruct)
occlusion (occlude)   (e.g. of a blood vessel)
occultation (occult)   (e.g. in astronomy)
occurrence (occur)
onset (onset)
oozing (ooze)
opening (open)
operating (operate, operation)      (e.g. operating_presssure)
optimization (optimize)
oscillation (oscillate)
osmosis (osmote, osmoting)
outbreak (outbreak, outbreaking)    (in context of disease)
outflow (outflow, outflowing)
outgassing (outgas)
overexertion (overexert)
overgrazing (overgraze)
overpopulation (overpopulate)
overshooting (overshoot)
overturning (overturn)  (in CF)
ovulation (ovulate)
oxidation (oxidize)   (see reduction)
oxygenation (oxygenate)

P

pairing (pair)
paralysis (paralyze)
partitioning (partition)   (e.g. partitioning_coefficient)
patching (patch)
peaking (peak)   (e.g. peaking_time ?)
penetration (penetrate)    (e.g. penetration_depth)
percolation (percolate)
perfusion (perfuse)
permutation (permute)
persistence (persist)
perspiration (perspire)
perturbation (perturb)
phosphorescence (phosphoresce)
photorespiration (photorespirate)
photosynthesis (photosynthesize)
pinging (ping)
pinning (pin)
piping (pipe)
pitching (pitch)   (e.g. vs. yaw)
pitting (pit)
placement (place)
plucking (pluck)    (as in sediment on a streambed)
plunging (plunge)
polarization (polarize)    (e.g. polarizaion_angle)
polishing (polish)   (e.g. polishing roots with a root finder)
pollination (pollinate)
pollution (pollute)
polymerization (polymerize)   (in chemistry)
ponding (pond)    (e.g. infiltration ponding time)
population (populate)     (population_growth_rate, repopulation_rate ??)
precession (precess)         (e.g. precession of Mercury;  see nutation)
precipitation (precipitate)
predation (predate or "prey upon")
preprocessing (preprocess)
processing (process)
predation (prey, preying)    (e.g. predation_pressure)
prevailing (prevail)  (e.g. wind prevailing direction)
prevention (prevent)  (e.g. accident prevention)
priming (prime)
probing (probe)
procurement (procure)
production (produce)
progradation (prograde)     (see "aggradation")
projection (project)      (e.g. map projection)
proliferation (proliferate)   (e.g. of dams or nuclear weapons)
propagation (propagate)  (e.g. waves, errors or disease)
propulsion (propel)
protection (protect)
pruning (prune)   (e.g. in network extraction from DEMs)
pulling (pull)
pulsation (pulsate)    (e.g. heart_pulsation_rate vs. pulse_rate)
pulverizing (pulverize)
pumping (pump)    (think about heart_rate vs. heart_pumping_rate, etc.)
purification (purify)

Q

quenching (quench)   (rapid cooling; quenching_distance in combustion)
quilting (quilt)   (a modeling term)

R

radiation (radiate)
rafting (raft)   (e.g. ice rafting;  sediment transported on or in ice)
rainfall (rainfall, "rainfalling")   (then rainfall_rate is preferred to rain_rate)
raining (rain)
raise (raising)
ramping (ramp)
ranging (range)  (also in combinations like "free_ranging" & laser_ranging; see "lateration")
rarefaction (rarefy)      (opposite of compression)
rating (rate)    (e.g. rating_coefficient)
reaction (react)
readjustment (readjust)
reaping (reap)
rebound (rebound, rebounding?)     (e.g. isostatic rebound)
recession (recede)
recharge (recharge, recharging)   (see discharge)
reciprocating (reciprocate)    (e.g. reciprocating motion)
reckoning (reckon)   (e.g. dead reckoning)
reclamation (reclaim)    (e.g. water reclamation)
recognition (recognize)     (e.g. pattern recognition)
reconciliation (reconcile)
reconditioning (recondition)   (e.g. surface reconditioning)
reconstruction (reconstruct)
recovery (recover)
recruitment (recruit)
rectifying (rectify)
recurrence (recur)
recursion (recurse)
recycling (recycle)   (e.g. nutrient recycling)
redistribution (redistribute)    (e.g. of water in soil)
reduction (reduce)
reducing  (reduce,  e.g. chemistry:  reducing atmosphere)
reading (read)    (e.g. reading input files)
reentry (reenter, e.g. rentry_speed)
refinement (refine)     (e.g. grid refinement)
refining (refine)
reflection (reflect)   (e.g. sonar signals)
refraction (refract)   (see "diffraction")
refreshing (refresh)   (e.g. refresh_rate for monitors, aquariums?, refreshment)
refrigeration (refrigerate)
regeneration (regenerate)    (e.g. ability to regenerate limbs)
registration (register)   (e.g. registration of two grids)
regression (regress)   (see "transgression")
regridding (regrid)
regulation (regulate)
reinforcement (reinforce)   (e.g. positive and negative; or in construction)
reintroduction (reintroduce)   (e.g. a species)
rejection (reject)
relaxation (relax)     (e.g. relaxation_time;  used in CF)
releasing (release)
relief (relieve)
remediation (remediate)    (e.g. environmental remediation)
removal (remove)
rendition (render, rendering)
repair (repair, repairing)
repercussion (repercuss)
replacement (replace)
replenishment (replenish)   (e.g. beach replenishment;  see nourishment)
replication (replicate)      (e.g. DNA, virus;  self_replication)
repopulation (repopulate)
repose (repose, resposing)   (e.g. repose_angle)
reproduction (reproduce; see production)
repulsion (repulse)
requesting (request)
rescaling (rescale)   (see upscaling, downscaling)
rescue (rescue, rescuing)
reset (reset, resetting)
residence (reside)    (residence_time)
resilience (resilient, but not a verb  #########)
resistance (resist)
resolving (resolve)
resonance (resonate)
respiration (respirate)
response (respond, responding)
rest (rest, resting)     (e.g. rest_mass and rest_energy)
restoration (restore) (in CF)
resuscitation (resuscitate)  (e.g. CPR)
retarding (retard, retardation)
retention (retain)            (e.g. retention_pond ??)
retraction (retract)   (e.g. of an arm)
retreat (retreat, retreating)   (e.g. glacier__retreat_rate)
retrieval (retrieve)
retrogradation (retrograde)   (see aggradation, progradation)
return (return, returning)   (e.g. return flow, return period)
reverberation (reverberate)
reversal (reverse)            (e.g. pole_reversal)
revolution (revolve)
ricocheting (ricochet)
ridging (ridge)    (used in ice dynamics)
rifting (rift)  (used in geodynamics)
righting (right)   (e.g. righting a ship)
riming (rime)    (in CF)
rip (rip, ripping)   (e.g. rip current)
ripening (ripen)
rising (rise)   (e.g. rising_time, rising limb, sea level rise;  see sunrise and raise)
rocking (rock)   (a type of molecular vibration)
rollback (e.g. in geodynamics)
rolling (roll)    (see pitching, sliding, slipping, yawing)
rotation  (rotate)
roughnening (roughen)
routing (route)      (e.g. flow_routing, bank_routing_number)
rubbing (rub)
running (run)      (e.g. running_time or run_time)
runoff    (runoff, "running off")
runup     (runup, "running up", waves coming onshore, uprush?)
rupturing (rupture)

S

saltation (saltate)   ("hopping" of sediment grains; also used in biology)
sampling (sample)
sapping (sap)  (e.g. groundwater sapping)
saturation (saturate)
saving (save)
scaling (scale)
scanning (scan)
scattering (scatter)
scavenging (scavenge)
scouring (scour)
screening (screen)    (e.g. debye_huckel_screening_length)
sealing (seal)  (e.g. induction sealing, sealing wax)
searching (search)     (e.g. search_radius)
seclusion (seclude)
secretion (secrete)
sedimentation (sediment)  (in CF)
seeding (seed)    (e.g. cloud seeding)
seeking (seek)    (e.g. heat_seeking_missile)
seepage (seep, seeping)
selection (select)
sensing (sense)     (e.g. remote_sensing)
separation (separate)   (e.g. flow separation)
sequencing (sequence)   (e.g. DNA or genome sequencing)
sequestration  (sequester)
setting (set)      (e.g. sun_setting_time)
settling (settle)    (e.g. stokes_settling_velocity)
shading (shade)
shadowing (shadow)
shaping (shape)   (e.g. shaping time)
shattering (shatter)  (e.g. frost and salt)
shear (shear, shearing)     (e.g. shearing_stress (Batchelor, 1988), or just shear_stress)
shedding (shed)      (e.g. vortex shedding)
shielding (shield)   (e.g. for cables; see egress and ingress)
shifting (shift)
shoaling (shoal)
shooting (shoot)  (e.g. shooting methods)
shortage (short)    (short can be a verb)
shrinking (shrink)
sieving (sieve)
sifting (sift)
sighting (sight)   (e.g. whale_sighting_rate)
signaling (signal)
silencing (silence)
silting  ("silt up")    (e.g. reservoir_silting_rate)
simulation (simulate)   (but simulation is also a noun)
sinking (sink)  (e.g. sinking_rate, sinking_deltas ??)
siphoning (siphon)
skating (skate)   ####
skidding (skid)
sliding (slide)    (e.g. land_ice_basal_sliding_rate)
slipping (slip, slippage)
slumping (slump)
smelting (smelt)  (e.g. in metallurgy)
smoothing (smooth)   (see "roughening")
snowfall (snowfall, "snowfalling")
softening (soften)
solidification (solidify)
solifluction (but solifluct is not a verb?  [soli=soil, fluct=flow] same as creep?)
solstice (solstice, solsticing)  (e.g. solstice_time; as something the earth is doing)
solutioning  (cave formation process)
sorption (see absorption, adsorption)
sorting (sort)       (e.g. sediment sorting in a stream)
sounding (sound)     (e.g. sounding_depth, sonar signals, also "ping_rate")
sourcing (source)
sowing (sow)
spanning (span)   (e.g. minimal spanning tree)
sparing (spare)      (e.g. of glycogen or protein or steroids)
spawning (spawn)
speciation (speciate)
spinning (spin)
splitting (split)     (e.g. cell division)
spreading (spread)    (sea_floor_spreading_rate, mid_ocean_ridge_spreading_rate)
sprouting (sprout)
stabilization (stabilize)
staggering (stagger)    (e.g. of model grids)
staging (stage)         (e.g. staging_period)
stagnation (stagnate)   (e.g. stagnation_point in fluid dynamics)
stalling (stall)        (as in aerodynamics)
standing (stand)   (e.g. standing wave)
starting (start)        (e.g. starting_date;  see stopping)
starvation (starve, starving)
stasis  (stasis)        ("suspended animation", only in fiction ??)
steering (steer)        (e.g. topographic steering)
stemflow (stemflow)
stepping (step)         (e.g. time_stepping)
sterilization (sterilize)
stimulation (stimulate)
stirring (stir)
stocking (stock)
stoking (stoke)
stopping (stop)         (see starting)
storage (store)
stitching (stitch)
straightening (straighten)
straining (strain)      (e.g. applied loads)
stratification (stratify)
stressing (stress)    (as in ecosystem stress;  stress is also a quantity)
stretching (stretch)   (a type of molecular vibration and vortex stretching)
striking (strike)       (e.g. striking_distance)
subduction (subduct)
sublimation (sublimate)
submersion (submerge, submerse)
submission (submit)
subsampling (subsample)
subsidence (subside)
subtraction (subtract)
success (succeed, succeeding)  (see failure)
suckering (sucker)
suction (suck, sucking)
suffusion (suffuse)              (e.g. in sinkhole formation)
sunrise (sunrise, "sun rising")
sunset (sunset, "sun setting")
sunshine (sunshine, sunshining)   (e.g. sunshine_duration)
supercooling (supercool)
superheating (superheat)
superposition (superpose)     (and superimposition, superimpose)
supporting (support)
suppression (suppress)     (e.g. fire_suppression_rate)
surfacing (surface)
surge (surge, surging)     (e.g. storm_surge)
surveying (survey)
survival (survive)         (e.g. infant_survival_rate)
suspension (suspend)
swell (swell, swelling)    (e.g. swell_wave)
swimming (swim)
switching (switch)   (e.g. switching_time)
symbiosis (verb form ??)
synchronization (synchronize)
synnecrosis (verb form ??)  (similar to symbiosis, but detrimental to both organisms)

T

tabulation (tabulate)
tagging (tag)               (e.g. genetic tagging)
tapering (taper)
targeting (target)
teleconnection (teleconnect)
tempering (temper)          (e.g. steel_tempering)
tension (tense, tensing)    (e.g. surface_tension)
terraforming (terraform)
termination (terminate)
testing (test)
thaw (thaw, thawing)     (e.g. permafrost_thaw_rate, soil_thaw_depth)
thermoregulation (thermoregulate)
thickening (thicken)
thinning (thin)    (e.g. shear thinning fluid, thinning a forest)
thrombosis (verb form ??)
throttling (throttle)    (e.g. Joule-Thomson throttling process in gas dynamics)
throughfall (throughfall, "throughfalling")
throughflow (throughflow)   (see baseflow, interflow)
thrust (thrust, thrusting)     (drag, lift)
tilt (tilt, tilting)     (e.g. earth_axis_tilt_angle)
tipping (tip)
titration (titrate)
torquing (torque)
tracking (track)    (e.g. particle tracking, storm tracking)
traction #############
trailing (trail)
transcription (transcribe)     (e.g. in genetics)
transduction (transduct)   (e.g. in genetics)
transfection (transfect)  (e.g. in genetics)
transfer (transfer, transferring?)   (e.g. gene transfer)
transformation (transform)
transfusion (transfuse)
transgression (transgress)   (e.g. marine transgression;  see regression)
transit (transit)   (e.g. a transit of venus in astronomy; transit_duration)
transition (transit)   (e.g. phase transition, atomic electron transition, glass transition temperature)
translation (translate)   (e.g. in biology)
transmission (transmit)
transmutation (transmute)  (e.g. of species)
transpiration (transpire)
transport  (transport, transportation)
transudation (transude)
trapping (trap)  (e.g. of atoms, sediment;  e.g. trapping efficiency)
traversal (traverse)  ??
treatment (treat)   (e.g. sewage_treatment)
treethrow (treethrow, treethrowing?)
trending (trend)
triangulation (triangulate)
triggering (trigger)
trophobiosis (verb form?)
tuning (tune)
tunneling (tunnel)    (e.g. digging a tunnel or quantum tunneling)
turning (turn)   (e.g. turning_radius)
turnover (turnover)  (e.g. cell replacement)
twisting (twist)   (a type of molecular vibration)

U

undertow (undertow, undertowing)
undulation (undulate)
union (unite, uniting)    (contrast with intersection)
unravelling (unravel)
unzipping (unzip)  (e.g. DNA)
updraft (updraft, updrafting)    (see downdraft)
uplift (uplift, uplifting)    (bedrock_uplift_rate)
upscaling (upscale)
uptake (uptake, uptaking)
upwelling (upwell)
urbanization (urbanize)
usage (use)   (e.g. urban water usage)

V

vaccination (vaccinate)
vaporization (vaporize)
varying (vary)
ventilation (ventilate)
vibration (vibrate)
viewing (view)
volatilization (volatilize)
volition (???)    (e.g. in psychology)
vulcanization (vulcanize)   (using sulfur to strengthen rubber)

W

wagging (wag)    (e.g. a type of molecular vibration)
warming (warm)   (e.g. global_warming)
warning (warn)   ??
washing (wash)
wasting (waste)  (e.g. mass wasting)
watering (water)
weathering (weather)  (e.g. chemical, frost, mechanical and physical)
wedging (wedge)  (e.g. frost_wedging, ice_wedging)
weighting (weight)
welding (weld)
wetting (wet)    (e.g. wetting_front)
wicking (wick)
wilting (wilt)   (e.g. wilting_point_water_content)
winnowing (winnow)
wiping (wipe)  (e.g. windshield_wiper__wiping_frequency)
withdrawal (withdraw)   (e.g. ground_water_withdrawal_rate)
withering (wither)      (e.g. plant withering rate)
writing (write)   (e.g. writing output files)

X

(None yet)

Y

yawing (yaw)
yielding (yield)

Z

zipping (zip)   (e.g. DNA)