Water Cycle Review Flashcards
absorb
to take in or suck up
atmosphere
the air all around the earth
cloud
a mass of tiny water droplets suspended in the air
condensation
gas to liquid
collection
when precipitation falls from the sky and runoff carries from lakes, ponds, and the ocean
estuary
an area where a river flows into an ocean creating a mix of saltwater and freshwater
evaporation
liquid to gas
freezing
liquid to solid
glacier
huge, moving rivers of ice
groundwater
water in the ground
humidity
the measure of how much water is in the air
iceberg
large chunks of ice floating in the ice
ice cap
thick permanent sheets of ice that cover the north and south poles of the earth
lake
a large body of water surrounded by land
melting
solid to liquid
ocean
the largest bodies of saltwater on earth
percolation
the process when water is absorbed into the ground
porous
filled with tiny spaces or openings that allow water to be absorbed
precipitation
any form of water that falls out of the sky to the earth
natural resource
a useful, tradable, or necessary material found in nature
river
freshwater flowing in a channel (runoff)
runoff
water that flows across the earth by gravity to collect in ponds, lakes, and oceans
surface water
visible water on Earth’s surface
transpiration
the process when water vapor is released into the atmosphere by plants leaves
