Water Systems Knowledge Flashcards
biomagnification
the buildup of a toxic substance as it moves through the levels of a food chain
bloom
a rapid increase in the algal population in an aquatic ecosystem
condensation
the process of a substance changing from a gas to a liquid
conservation
methods employed to reduce demands for a resource and therefore increase supplies
dissolved oxygen
gaseous oxygen that is found dissolved in water
evaporation
the process of a substance changing from a liquid to a gas, slowly and over a wide range of temperatures. Boiling water on the stove evaporates faster than water sitting in a lake on a plus 15 day.
groundwater
water that lies beneath the surface of the earth (in the soil and between the rocks).
pollution
substances that contaminate natural environments
potable
water that is suitable for human consumption
precipitation
water that falls to the earth in a solid or liquid form (hail, snow, rain, sleet)
transpiration
the evaporation of water from the surface of a plant
water cycle
the movement of water through different locations and physical forms
wetland
an area of land that is partially covered by water for some part of the year
nutrients
a substance that provides nourishment that is essential for growth and the maintenance of life
aquifer
a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater
permeable
allowing liquids or gases to pass through
polar ice
sea ice that is more than a year old; the thickest form of sea ice
salinity
a measure of salt concentration in water (for example, when looking at how much salt is in a glass of water, you could say the salinity is….)
water table
upper surface of groundwater below which soil is saturated with water
infiltration
when precipitation occurs, not all the water returns to the ocean as surface runoff. Some goes into the ground and as the water travels through the ground impurities are filtered out (the water gets cleaner).
surface runoff
as water returns to the earth through precipitation it moves over the land (with gravity, flowing downhill) and eventually joins up with streams, rivers, ponds, etc.
transpiration
plants absorb water from the soil, the water moves up the plant to the leaves, and the water in the leaves evaporates back into the atmosphere.
condensation
the opposite process of evaporation. Water leaves the vapour state (as a gas in the atmosphere) and returns to the liquid states. Like when you have droplets of water on the outside of your drink glass on a warm day. When water droplets that change from a vapour to liquid in the atmosphere, if they get heavy enough they will fall to the ground a precipitation.
continental divide
The location of the highest land on the continent determines the direction that a watershed drains.
This high land is called the Continental Divide.
In North America it is in the Rocky Mountains.
