Ch.11 Key Terms Flashcards
Surface Water
The fresh water on Earth’s land surface, found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
River system
As streams and rivers move across land, they form a flowing network
Watershed
An area of land that is drained by a river
Groundwater
Water that is found beneath Earth’s surface in the spaces in sediment and rock formations
Aquifer
An underground formation that contains groundwater
Porosity
Is the percentage of the total volume of a rock that has pores
Permeability
The ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it
Recharge Zone
An area of Earth’s surface from which percolates down into an aquifer
Potable
safe to drink
Pathogens
organisms that cause illness or disease
Dams
Built across rivers to control a river’s flow
Reservoir
artificial lake formed behind a dam
Desalination
is the process of removing salt from salt water
Water Pollution
The introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and harm the organisms that depend on water.
Point- source pollution
Pollution discharged from a single source
