PS Module 5 Flashcards
Hydrosphere
The sum of all water on a planet
Hydrologic cycle
The process by which water is continuously exchanged between earth’s various water sources
Transpiration
Evaporation of water from plants into the atmosphere
Condensation
The process by which a gas turns into a liquid
Precipitation
Water falling from the atmosphere as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
Distillation
Evaporation and condensation of a mixture to separate out the mixture’s individual components
Residence time
The average time a given particle will stay in a given system
Salinity
A measure of the mass of dissolved salt in a given mass of water
Firn
A dense, icy pack of old snow
Water table
The line between the water-saturated soil and the soil not saturated with water
Percolation
The process by which water moves downward in the soil, toward the water table
Adiabatic cooling
The cooling of a gas that happens when the gas expands with no way of getting more energy
Cloud condensation nuclei
Small airborne particles that water vapor condenses on to form clouds
The majority of the earth’s water supply
Saltwater (ie: Oceans)
The majority of the earth’s freshwater supply
Frozen in glaciers and icebergs