Water Pollution/resources Flashcards
Hydrological cycle
The movement of water in the seas air and on land
Groundwater
One of our most important sources of freshwater and a key component of the earths natural capital
Zone of saturation
The spaces in soil and rock close to the earths surface hold little moisture
Water table
Top of the ground water zone
Aquifers
Underground water between layers of sand gravel and bedrock
Surface water
The freshwater from precipitation and snow melt that flows across the earths surface that ultimately goes into our oceans
Watershed
The land from which surface water drains into a particular river lake wetland or other body of water
Surface runoff
Precipitation will hat does not infiltrate the ground or return to the atmosphere by evaporation
Reliable surface runoff
The amount of surface runoff that we can generally count on as a source of freshwater from year to year
Drought
A prolonged period in which precipitation is at least 70% Lower and evaporation is higher than normal in an area that is normally not dry
Reservoir
An artificial lake that is created by a dammed river
Dam
A structure built across a river to control the rivers to control the river water flow
Floodplain
An adjacent area to a flooding stream that overflows and spills into it
Water pollution
Any chemical biological or physical change in water quality that harms living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired users
Point sources
Discharge pollutants at specific locations that are dumped into bodies of water