Glossary Flashcards
Evaporation
The change in state of water from a liquid to a gas as hydrogen bonds are broken
Hydrogen bonds
The weak electrostatic bond formed between water molecules which gives water a high boiling point
Anomalous expansion
Unusual expansion, usually applied to water, which expands as it cools down below 4 degrees celcius
Residence time
The average length of time that a molecule remains in a reservoir
Aquifer
An underground rock structure from which water is abstracted
Reservoir
The general name for a storage location for any material eg. nitrogen, crude oil, iron.
The term is also used for the stored water retained by a dam
Transfer rate
Te volume of material moved from one reservoir from another
Precipitation
Condensation of atmospheric water vapour that reaches the earths surface in any liquid or solid form
Throughflow
The sideways movement of water in the ground
Interception
Precipitation that does not reach the ground because t lands on vegetation
Infiltration
The process by which surface water enters the ground between particles of soil or rock
Percolation
The movement of water between the particles of soil or rock
Groundwater flow
The movement of water through the pore spaces ad fissures in permeable rocks
River channel discharge
The volume of water flowing past a particular point on a river and is a product of cross sectional area and mean water velocity
Abstraction
The removal of water from the location where it was found
Irrigation
Artificial watering of plants, especially crops
Potable
Water that is suitable for drinking
TSS
The total amount of organic and inorganic material suspended in a volume of water
Pathogen
An organism that causes disease
Coliform count
A measure of sewage pollution based in the presence of the faecal bacterium E.COLI
Catchment area
The area f land that collects water which will flow down t the lowest point eg. river, lake, aquifer, sea
Anaerobic
A process or organism hat does not require oxygen
Topography
The 3D shape of the landscape
Porosity
A measure of the percentage of the volume of a rock that is space