environmental science Ch 11 Flashcards
surface water
fresh water on Earth’s land surface.
River system
flowing network of water as streams and rivers move across the land
Watershed
The area of land that is drained by a river
Groundwater
Water stored beneath the Earth’s surface in sediment and rock formations.
Aquifer
An underground formation that contains groundwater.
Porosity
The amount of space between the particles that make up a rock.
Permeability
The ability of rock or soil t allow water to flow through it.
Recharge zone
The area of the Earth’s surface where water percolates down into the aquifer.
Potable
Safe to drink
Pathogens
Organisms that cause illness or diseases such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms
Dam
structure built across a river to control the river’s flow.
Reservoir
formed when the river is dammed, an artificial lake.
desalination
process of removing salt from saltwater
Water pollution
introduction of chemical, physical or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and adversely affect the organisms that depend on the water.
Point-source pollution
pollution discharged from a single source such as leaking septic tank, unlined landfills, leaking storage tanks, the water discharged from industries and abandoned mines, and wastewater treatment plants.
