Chapter 7 Vocabulary Flashcards
Brackish water
A mixture of salt water and fresh water; the Chesapeake Bay is an example
Aquifer
An underground layer of porous rock, sand, or other material that allows the movement of water between layers of no porous rock or clay; aquifers are frequently tapped for wells
Capillary water
Water that clings in small pores, cracks, and spaces against the pull of gravity; ex.- water held in a sponge
Condensation
The collecting of molecules from the vapor state to form the liquid state, s for example, when water vapor condenses on a cold surface and forms droplets
Consumptive
Use if water for such things such as irrigation, wherein the water does not remain available for potential purification and reuse
Channelization
The straightening and deepening of stream or river channels to speed water flow and reduce flooding; a waterway so treated is said to be channelized
Desalination
Process that purifies seawater into high-quality drinking water via distillation or micro-filtration
Estuaries
A bay or river system open to the ocean at one end and receiving fresh water at the other; in the estuary, fresh and salt water mix, producing brackish water
Evaporation
Process whereby molecules leave the liquid state and enter the vapor or gaseous state as, for example, when water evaporates to form water vapor
Freshwater
Water that has a salt content of less than 0.1% (1,000 parts per million)
Gray water
Wastewater, as from sinks and tubs, that does not contain human excrement; such water can be reused without purification for some purposes
Groundwater
Water that has accumulated in the ground, completely filling and saturating all pores and spaces in rock or soil; free to move more or less read.iy, it is the reservoir for springs and wells, and is replenished by infiltration of surface water
Hydrologic cycle
The movement of water from points of evaporation, through the atmosphere, through precipitation, and through or over the ground, returning to points of evaporation
Infiltration
The process in which water soaks into soil as opposed to running off the surface of the soil
Irrigation
Any method of artificially adding water to crops
Hadley cell
A system of vertical or horizontal air circulation predominating in tropical or subtropical regions and creating major weather patterns
Land subsidence
The gradual sinking of land; the condition may result from the removal of groundwater or oil, which is frequently instrumental in supporting the overlying rock and soil
Nonconsumptive
Use if water for such purposes as washing and rinsing, wherein the water, albeit polluted, remains available for further uses; with suitable purification, such water may be recycled indefinitely
Percolation
The process of water seeping downward through cracks and pores in soil or rock
Rain shadow
The low-rainfall region that exists on the leeward (downside) side of a mountain range; this rain shadow is the result of the mountain range causing precipitation on the windward side
Recharge area
The area over which groundwater will infiltrate and resupply an aquifer
Relative humidity
The percentage of moisture in the air, compared with how much the air can hold at the given temperature
Runoff
The portion of precipitation that runs off the surface, as opposed to soaking into the ground
Water table
The upper surface of groundwater, rising and falling with the amount of groundwater
Watershed
The total land area that drains directly or indirectly into a particular stream or river; the watershed is generally named from the stream or river into which it drains
Xeriscaping
Landscaping with drought-resistant plants that need no watering
