Ch. 11 Key Terms Flashcards
surface water
fresh water on Earth’s land surface. found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
river system
when streams and rivers move across the land and form a flowing network of water
watershed
area of land that is drained by a river
groundwater
water that is found beneath the earth’s surface in spaces in sediment and rock formations
aquifer
an underground formation that contains groundwater
porosity
a percentage of the total volume of a rock that has spaces ( pores )
permeability
the ability of a rock or soil to allow water to flow through it
recharge zone
an area of earth’s surface from which water percolates down into an aquifer
potable
safe to drink
pathogen
organisms that cause illness or disease
dam
built across rivers to control the river’s flow
reservoir
artificial lake
desalination
the process of removing salt from saltwater
water pollution
introduction of chemical, physical or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and harm the organisms that depend on the water.
point-source pollution
pollution discharged from a single source