4. Water Flashcards
Definitions
Pollution
Addition of a substance, created by human activity, to the environment that has a negative effect
Point source pollution
Release of pollutants from a single and clearly identifiable site
Non-point source pollution
Release of pollutants from numerous and widely dispersed sites
Acute pollution
Pollution providing it’s effects through a short, intense exposure
Chronic pollution
Pollution producing it’s effects over low-level long term exposure
Primary pollutant
a pollutant that’s active on emission
Secondary pollutant
pollutant arising from a primary pollutant that has undergone physical or chemical change
Ocean conveyor belt
Circulation of ocean’s waters responsible for transfer of heat from tropics to colder regions
Evaporation
Change in state of liquid from water to gas
Evapotranspiration
process where water’s transferred from land to atmosphere by evaporation from soil/other surfaces by transpiration from plants
Interception
Vegetation interrupts movement of water from atmosphere to land
Infiltration
how water on ground surface enters soil
Sublimation
process where water goes from solid to gas
Melting
water solid to liquid
Condensation
Water gas to liquid
Surface run-off
Flow of water on ground surface before infiltration
Freezing
Water liquid to solid
groundwater flow
Downward flow of water through soil due to gravity
percolation
Water percolating through soil meets dense, non-porous rock so water flows sideways into streams/oceans
Advection
Movement of water vapour by wind
stream flow
flow of water in streams, rivers and other channels
Physical water scarcity
Where water resource development has exceeded unsustainable levels. Relating water availability to demand.
Economic water scarcity
Where water is available locally but not accessible for financial capital reasons
Maximum sustainable yield
The rate of increase of something at which it can be exploited without depleting the original stock or its potential from replenishment
