Mid-Term Review Flashcards
What is the distribution of fresh and saltwater on Earth?
3% freshwater, 97% saltwater
What is the Hydrologic Cycle (Water Cycle)?
The cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and lang, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
How much of the world is covered in water?
75%
What are the 4 characteristics of water?
- Polarity
- Density
- Solvent
- High heat capacity
What is the water table?
Located on the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The soil or rocks are permanently saturated with water.
What is Zone of Aeration?
The region between the earth’s surface and the water table. The main components of this region are the soil and rocks. Holds mostly air.
What is the Zone of Saturation?
The soil or rock located below the top of the groundwater table. Pores are saturated with water.
What is evaporation?
liquid to gas
What is transpiration?
Evaporation of water from plant leaves/trees.
What is condensation?
The change of state from a gas to a liquid.
What is precipitation?
Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches the Earth’s surface.
What is run-off?
Water flowing on the surface.
What is the Earth’s main energy source?
The Sun
What is a watershed (drainage basin)?
All of the land that drains into a river system.
The Mississippi River is the largest watershed in the US? (true or false)
T R U E
What is porosity?
The amount of pore space (holes) in sediment.
What is permeability?
The ability of materials for water to pass through.
What are some factors that affect surface run-off?
Type of soil, condition of the soil, slope, plant cover (infiltration and interception)
What factors affect porosity?
shape, sorting, packing
What factors affect permeability?
grain size, sorting, connectedness
What are some common causes of groundwater/surface water contamination?
Industrial waste, sewage & wastewater, fossil fuels/gasoline, fertilizers/pesticides, road salts, bacteria/viruses
What is a continental glacier?
This type of glacier covers large continent sized areas with huge ice sheets.
What is a valley glacier?
Forms high in the mountains, moves within valley walls and relatively small.
What is a glacier?
A large mass of moving ice and snow.
What is the overall force that causes glaciers to move?
gravity
What is glacial till?
Unsorted and unstratified rocks, soil, and debris deposited by a retreating glacier.
What is a moraine?
Accumulation of glacial till.