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Thunderstorm
A storm with lightning and thunder, produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail.
Tile-drain water
Infiltrated water that is captured by drain tiles and diverted to surface streams.
Time of concentration
The time required for water to flow from the farthest point on the watershed to the gaging station.
Tornado
A violent rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, pendant from a cumulonimbus cloud. A tornado does not require the visible presence of a funnel cloud.
Total storage
The volume of a reservoir below the maximum controllable level including dead storage.
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
P.L. 94-469 (October 11, 1976) authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate toxic substances (any chemical that may present a risk of unreasonable harm to man or the environment). By definition, however, the Act excludes from EPA regulation under TSCA certain substances, including pesticides (as defined by and regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act), tobacco or tobacco products, and any food or food additive (as defined by and regulated under the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act).
Trace Gas
Any one of the less common gases found in the Earth's atmosphere. Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon make up more than 99 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. Other gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, and ammonia, are considered trace gases. Although relatively unimportant in terms of their absolute volume, they have significant effects on the Earth's weather and climate.
Trade winds
Persistent tropical winds that blow from the subtropical high pressure centers towards the equatorial low.
Trade-Off
The opportunity costs of selecting one alternative rather than another.
Tradeable Permits
The government specifies an overall level of pollution we'll tolerate, then gives each polluter a "permit" for its portion of the total. Firms that keep emissions below their allotted level may sell or lease the surplus to other firms that can use the permits to exceed their original allotment. For example The 1990 Clean Air Act which set up tradeable permits for sulfur dioxide emissions in an effort to reduce acid rain. The approach may save the economy $1 billion a year. Other cases where it can work include water pollution from both point and non-point sources and international trading in greenhouse gas permits. If the number of permit holders is very high, the program can be expensive to operate. If the number is very small, some firms could monopolize the market.

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