running Water Test Flashcards
water cycle
the unending circulation of earths water supply
The world water budget is in balance because
precipitation equals evaporation
local water budgets are
not balanced
what use the greatest amount of water
agriculture and industry
how much of this water that’s used is return to rivers lakes oceans etc.
90%
waste water treatment
remove as much suspended solids as possible before the remaining water called effluent is discharged back to the environment
Nonpoint sources of pollution
sedimentation and stormwater runoff
River systems
watershed, tributaries, divide, headwaters
watershed
land from which water runs off into streams – drainage basin
tributaries
feeder streams that flow into a main river
divide
ridges or elevated regions of higher ground that separate watersheds
headwaters
beginning of a stream
drainage patterns
water can travel in a variety of patterns – radial, rectangular, trellis, dendritic
Radio
streams radiate out words from a central High Point
rectangular
shape determined by underlying rocks
trellis
streams are parallel with tributaries forming right angles – alternating bands of hard and soft rock
dendritic
Waterflow resembles branches on a tree – most common pattern
Channel
The path that a stream follows
headword erosion
process of lengthening and branching of a stream
Stream piracy
The capture of a stream in one watershed by a stream with a higher rate of erosion in another watershed
four things that affect the rate of channel erosion
Stream load, velocity, discharge, gradient
Stream load
material carried by a stream
dissolved load
mineral matter transported in liquid solution
suspended load
particles of fine grains and silt suspended in the water
bed load
large, course or sand, gravel, and pebbles that move along the bottom
velocity
distance the water travels in a period of time
discharge
volume of water moved by a stream within a given time
gradient
steepness of a stream slope
Stream deposition
as the velocity of a stream decreases, it drops the sediment it was carrying
Delta
underwater deposit of sediment at the mouth of a stream into a lake or ocean
alluvial fan
fan shaped deposit at the base of a slope on land
youthful river
Straight, erodes rapidly, V-shaped, few tributaries, has waterfalls and Rapids
mature river
meandering, winding, slow erosion, U-shaped, lots of tributaries, hold lots of water
Old River
gradient and velocity decreases, no more erosion, more meandering
floodplain
part of the yellow valley floor that maybe covered with water during a flood
natural levee
raise Riverbank of that results when a river deposits its load at the rivers edge
artificial Levee
earthen mounds built on the banks of a river/can also be made of concrete, sand bags, etc.
flood control dams
Store flood water and let it out slowly
groundwater
underground water that fills almost all the pores and rock and sediment – makes up 90% of the earths liquid freshwater
porosity
refers to the percentage of open spaces in rock or sediment
porosity affected by
sorting and way particles are packed together
sorting
amount of uniformity in size of particle in a rock or sediment-same size particles equals large porosity – different size particles equals small porosity
way particles are packed together
packed loosely equals high porosity - packed tightly equals low porosity
permeability
how freely water passes through open spaces in rock or sediment – open spaces must be connected to be permeable
impermeable
Rock or sediment that water cannot flow through
zone of saturation
layer of groundwater where all pores are full
aquifer
body of molten rock through with large amounts of water can flow in much water is stored
water table
upper surface of the zone of saturation
zone of aeration
zone that lies between water table and surface
-remains the dry except during rainfall
well
A hole that is dug below the water table and fills with groundwater
cone of depression
cone shaped depression and water table around a well
artesian well
well in which water flows freely with no pumping necessary
Spring
A small stream of water whose source. is groundwater that has reach the surface
Hot spring
Hot groundwater that rises to surface before cooling
geysers
Hot springs that he erupt periodically
hard water
water that contains large amounts of dissolved minerals
has metallic taste, soap won’t make suds, damages appliances that use water
caverns
large cave with connecting chambers – form due to erosion
sinkhole
depression formed when the roof of a cavern collapses
stalactite
cone shaped calcite deposit suspended from the ceiling of the cavern
stalagmite
cone shaped calcite deposit build up from the ground of a cavern
karst topography
characterized by sinkholes, sinkhole ponds, lost rivers and underground drainage
sources of pollution
water dumps, underground storage tanks, agriculture and lawn fertilizers, pesticides, leaking sewage
saltwater intrusion
The movement of salt water into fresh water aquifers caused by overpumping of wells in coastal areas
conservation efforts can include
Monitor levels of water tables, discourage use of excess water, recycle, purifying used water
ways to ensure water for future
conserve and desalination which is the removing of salt from the ocean water
