Unit 7 Flashcards
Hydrological Cycle
The water cycle as it happens on earth
Evaporation
The process where water becomes vapor
Condensation
The process where water vapor becomes liquid (Clouds)
Precipitation
Water falling from the sky (Rain and Snow)
Infiltration
Water enters the soil
Transpiration
Plants release water vapor into atmosphere
Evapotranspiration
The combined process of vapor released from trees and evaporation from water
Runoff
Water that runs off the surface and ends up in a pool
Loops
Recurring process where water is running through the stages, waters always moving
Pools
A place of sitting water, can be lake, ocean, groundwater
Fluxes
Movement of water between different pools
Residence time
The amount of time water spends in a specific pool
Percolation
Water moving through porous materials
Watersheds
A watershed is the area of land drained by a river system or body of water
Divides
Divides divide watersheds, they are highpoints
Open Watersheds
Open watersheds flows out of the watershed into external bodies of water
Closed Watersheds
Water remains within the boundaries of the watershed and does not flow into other areas
Floodplain
An area of low lying ground adjacent to a river that is at risk of flooding
Human impacts on watersheds and the water cycle
Clear cutting, Building impenatrable surfaces, Draining wetlands, Diverting rivers, Building damns
6 water pollution groups
Pathogens, Nutrients, Chemicals, Sediment, Thermal and Solid
