Chapter 11 Key Terms

Question 1

surface water

Answer 1

Surface water is water located on top of the Earth’s surface such as rivers, creeks, and wetlands

Question 2

rivery system

Answer 2

a system or group of rivers so united that the water carried by the minor component streams finally unites in one body of flowing water, usually designated as the “trunk” or “master” river.

Question 3

watershed

Answer 3

an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.

Question 4

groundwater

Answer 4

water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock.

Question 5

aquifer

Answer 5

a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater.

Question 6

Porosity

Answer 6

the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass

Question 7

Permeability

Answer 7

the state or quality of a material or membrane that causes it to allow liquids or gases to pass through it.

Question 8

recharge zone

Answer 8

The area in which water enters an aquifer

Question 9

Potable

Answer 9

something that is safe to drink

Question 10

Pathogen

Answer 10

a bacterium, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease.

Question 11

Dam

Answer 11

a barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, forming a reservoir used to generate electricity or as a water supply

Question 12

Reservoir

Answer 12

a place where something is kept in store: such as. a: an artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity for use

Question 13

Desalination

Answer 13

the process of removing salt from seawater.

Question 14

Water pollution

Answer 14

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities

Question 15

Point-source pollution

Answer 15

a single identifiable source of air, water, thermal, noise, or light pollution. A point source has negligible extent, distinguishing it from other pollution source geometries

Question 16

Non-point source pollution

Answer 16

Nonpoint source pollution is pollution resulting from many diffuse sources, in direct contrast to point source pollution which results from a single source.

Question 17

wastewater

Answer 17

water that has been used in the home, in a business, or as part of an industrial process

Question 18

Artificial Eutrophication

Answer 18

When humans artificially overuse a certain amount of nutrients in an ecosystem

Question 19

Thermal Pollution

Answer 19

the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature

Question 20

Biomagnification

Answer 20

the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed.