Section 3: Earth's Water

Question 1

Water Cycle

Answer 1

The cycle by which water circulates the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land.

Question 2

Evaporation

Answer 2

The changing of liquid water into vapor or gas.

Question 3

Condensation

Answer 3

When warm air cools, it cannot retain all of it’s water vapor, so the excess water vapor changes into liquid water.

Question 4

Precipitation

Answer 4

When clouds gather more water than they can hold, they release moisture, which falls to Earth as rain, snow, or sleet.

Question 5

Desalination

Answer 5

A process being developed by humans of turning ocean water into freshwater by removing the salt.

Question 6

Groundwater

Answer 6

Freshwater which lies beneath the Earth’s surface, comes from rain and melted snow that filter through the soil and from water that seeps into the ground from lakes and rivers.

Question 7

Aquifer

Answer 7

An underground porous rock layer often saturated with water in the form of streams.