Ch. 11 Key Terms

Question 1

Surface Water

Answer 1

Freshwater on Earth’s land surface. Surface water is found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.

Question 2

River System

Answer 2

As streams and rivers move across the land, they form a flowing network of water called.

Question 3

Watershed

Answer 3

The area of land that is drained by a river.

Question 4

Groundwater

Answer 4

Water that is found beneath Earth’s surface in the spaces in sediment and rock formations.

Question 5

Aquifiers

Answer 5

An underground formation that contains groundwater.

Question 6

Porosity

Answer 6

The percentage of the total volume of a rock that has spaces (pores). Water in an aquifer is stored in the pore spaces and flows from one pore space to another.

Question 7

Permeability

Answer 7

The ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it.

Question 8

Recharge Zone

Answer 8

An area of Earth’s surface from which water percolates down into an aquifer.

Question 9

Potable

Answer 9

Most water must be treated to make it potable, or safe to drink. Water treatment removes elements such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, which are poisonous to humans even in low concentrations.

Question 10

Pathogen

Answer 10

Found in water contaminated by sewage or animal feces.

Question 11

Dam

Answer 11

Built across rivers to control the river’s flow.

Question 12

Resevoir

Answer 12

Can be used for flood control, drinking water, irrigation, recreation, and industry.

Question 13

Desalination

Answer 13

The process of removing salt from saltwater.

Question 14

Water Pollution

Answer 14

The introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and harm the organisms that depend on the water. Almost all of the ways that we use water contribute to water pollution.

Question 15

Point-Source Pollution

Answer 15

Can often be identified and traced to a source.

Question 16

Non-point-Source Pollution

Answer 16

Also known as runoff pollution, comes from many different sources that are often difficult to identify.

Question 17

Wastewater

Answer 17

Water that contains waste from homes or industry.

Question 18

Artificial Eutrophication

Answer 18

Eutrophication is accelerated when inorganic plant nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, enter the water from sewage and fertilizer runoff.

Question 19

Thermal Pollution

Answer 19

Can occur when power plants and other industries use water in their cooling systems and then discharge the warm water into a lake or river.

Question 20

Biomagnification

Answer 20

Each organism stores the pesticide in its tissues and the concentration of the pesticide that is passed on to the next organism in the food chain increases.