Water #1 Flashcards
How does salt arrive in the ocean?
Salt arrives in the oceans from several different sources. When the rain falls on the land, most of it seeps into the ground, and then eventually into streams and rivers. From there it travels to the ocean. Moving over and through the ground, the water picks up materials from the rocks. These materials are called dissolved solids, and you cannot see them even with the help of a microscope. They get carried by the water from the land and into the ocean
What is the water table?
The water table is an underground boundary between the soil surface and the area where groundwater saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock. Water pressure and atmospheric pressure are equal at this boundary
What is underneath the water table?
The saturated zone, where water fills all spaces between sediments. The saturated zone is bounded at the bottom by impenetrable rock
What does impenetrable mean?
Water cannot get through that specific kind of rock
Where are springs formed/what is a spring?
Where the water table naturally meets the land surface, causing groundwater to flow from the surface and eventually into a stream, river, or lake
When does runoff occur?
When there is more water than land can absorb. The excess liquid flows across the surface of the land and into nearby creeks, streams, or ponds. Runoff can come from both natural processes and human activity
What is the most familiar type of runoff?
Snowmelt
Where does runoff come from?
Mountains that cannot absorb water from heavy snowfalls produce runoff that turns into streams, rivers, and lakes. Glaciers, snow, and rain all contribute to this natural runoff. Runoff also occurs naturally as soil is eroded and carried to various bodies of water
What is a point source?
Any source that empties directly into a waterway.
Example: sewage plant, oil leak
What are non-point sources?
Any source that does not directly enter a waterway.
Example: Rural chemicals (gasoline exhaust, car oil leak) washed away into local streams by rain
Why can we not drink saltwater?
You will become more thirsty- salt is used as a preservative because it draws the water out of food. Thus, it does the same to your body.
