Ch. 15 vocab Flashcards
process of plants giving off water
evapotranspiration
surface water moves across
run off
a porous layer of earth material that becomes saturated with water
aquifer
an aquifer that is bounded on the top and bottom by impermeable confining layers
confined aquifer
an impervious confining layer of an aquifer
aquiclude
the result of a pressurized aquifer being penetrated by a pipe or conduit, within which water rises without being pumped
artesian well
a zone above the water table and below the land surface that is not saturated with water
vadose zone
uses of water for cooling and for dissipating and transporting waste materials
industrial water
the amount of oxygen required by microbes to degrade organic molecules in aquatic ecosystems
biochemical oxygen demand
the enrichment of water (either natural or cultural) with nutrients
eutrophication
pollution of groundwater
groundwater pollution
diffuse pollutants, such as agricultural runoff, road salt, and acid rain, that are not from a single, confined source
non-point source
used as wastelands, purposes of industry, housing, and agriculture
wetlands conversion
comes from oil-drilling blowouts/oil tanker accidents, run-off from streets, improper disposal of lubricating oil from machines or automobile crankcases, and intentional oil discharges that occur during the loading and unloading of tankers
marine oil pollution
a method of disposing solid wastes that involves burying the wastes in specially constructed sites
landfill
stormwater that runs off of streets and buildings and is often added directly to the sewer system and sent to the municipal wastewater treatment facility
stormwater run off
usages of primary, secondary, and tertiary sewage treatment
wastewater treatment
process that involves holding the wastewater until the organic material has been degraded by bacteria and other microorganisms
secondary sewage treatment
process that removes larger particles by settling or filtering raw sewage through large screens
primary sewage treatment
process that involves a variety of different techniques designed to remove dissolved pollutants left after primary and secondary treatments
tertiary sewage treatment
a mixture of organic material, organisms, and water in which the organisms consume the organic matter
sewage sludge
constant movement of water from surface water to air and back to surface water as a result of evaporation and condensation
hydrologic cycle
water that infiltrates the soil and is stored in the spaces between particles in the earth
groundwater
the top layer of water in an aquifer
water table
an aquifer that usually occurs near the land’s surface, receives water by percolation from above, and may be called a water table aquifer
unconfined aquifer
a partially permeable layer in an aquifer
aquitard
a measure of the size and number of spaces in an aquifer
porosity
water used for domestic activities, such as drinking, air conditioning, bathing, washing clothes, etc.
domestic water
adding water to an agricultural field to allow certain crops to grow where the lack of water would normally prevent their cultivation
irrigation
use of a stream’s water flow for such purposes as hydroelectric power, recreation, and navigation
in-stream water use
the primary condition of the environment that determines the population size for an organism
limiting factor
the movement of saltwater into aquifers near oceans when too much water is pumped from aquifers
saltwater intrusion
pollution that can be traced to a single source
point source
bacteria found in the intestines of humans and other animals, often used as an indicator of water pollution
fecal coliform bacteria
waste heat that industries release into the environment
thermal pollution
removal of water from an aquifer faster than it is replaced
groundwater mining
an underground tank where sewage is collected and allowed to decompose through bacterial activity before draining by means of a leaching field
septic tank
the physical process of transferring water from one area to another
water diversion
a secondary sewage treatment technique that allows polluted water to flow over surfaces that harbor microorganisms
trickling filter system
method of treating sewage in which some of the sludge is returned to aeration tanks, where it is mixed with incoming wastewater to encourage degradation of the waste in the sewage
activated-sludge sewage
an increase in salinity caused by growing salt concentrations in soil
salinization
