CH 27.3 Flashcards
what percentage of water on Earth is salt water?
97%
what % of water on Earth is freshwater?
3%
where is the majority of freshwater found?
lakes, rivers, and groundwater
what is precipitation?
rain,snow,sleet and hail
what is runoff?
water running off the land surface?
what is infiltration?
the process by which water enters earth and becomes groundwater below the surface
what is transpiration?
when plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves
what is evaporation?
when water enters the atmosphere as water vapor
what is condensation?
when water vapor collides with other water vapor molecules to form water droplets
what is the water cycle?
water on land that goes in the atmosphere and returns back into the land
what is an unsaturated zone for for groundwater storage?
a porous area where water easily passes through
what is a saturated zone for groundwater storage?
beneath the unsaturated zone, where water completely fills the pore space
what is a water table?
the upper boundary of the saturated zone
what does is mean that a sediment is permeable?
the more permeable the material is the easier water can infiltrate through the ground
what is an aquifer?
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space
