chapter 27.3 and 27.4 Flashcards
the process by which water enters earth and becomes groundwater below the surfaces
infiltration
the upper boundary of the saturated zone
water table
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space
aquifer
of material is the percentage of the materials total volume that is pore space
porosity
the process of assigning an exact numerical age to an organism, an object, or an event
absolute dating
the process of placing objects or events in their proper order in time
relative dating
which states that the laws of nature operate today as they have in the past
uniformitarianism
states that in an undisturbed sequence if sedimentary rick layers,
principle of superposition
are gaps in the rock record during which either erosion occurred or deposition was absent
unconformity
the remains or traces of organisms found in the geologic rock record
fossils
what percentage of water on earth is salt water
97%
what percentage of water on earth is freshwater
3%
where is the majority of freshwater found
in glaciers
where is the smaller percentage of freshwater found
lakes, rivers, and ground water
what is precipitation
when water vapor cools and condenses like rain, snow, and sleet
what is runoff
water running off the land surface
what is infiltration
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
1.precipitation 2.runoff 3.infiltration 4.transpiration 5.evaporation 6 condensation
what is an unsaturated zone 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 more permeable the material is the easier water can infiltrate though the ground