Freshwater Key Terms

aqueduct

aqueduct

channels&/ or pipes built and used to carry water from a source location to a location of usage

conservation

using less of a resource so it will not used up

flood

occurs when the discharge of a stream is greater than the stream channel can carry and the water overflows the stream banks

infiltration

process of water seeping into the ground

condensation

the change of water vapor into liquid water droplets

recharge rate

how fast water from precipitation and runoff infiltrates into and refill an aquifer

water table

boundary that separates the zone of aeration and saturation; the level to which a well must be drilled in order to obtain groundwater

runoff

water that flows over the land rather than seeping unto the ground

well

a hole drilled or dug down below the water table from which water is moved to the surface

karst topography

areas with many sinkholes and few running surface streams due to limestone, dolomite, marble and gypsum bedrock

tributary

a smaller stream that flows into a larger stream

divide

imaginary line separates the watershed of one stream from the watershed of another stream

floodplain

broad, flat area along the sides of a stream that may be covered by water during times of high water

ground water

water in cracks and pores spaces in soil, regolith, & rock below Earths surface

wetland

area of land that is covered with shallow water during part of all of the year

discharge

volume of water in a stream flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time

evaporation

the change of liquid into water vapor

transpiration

evaporation of water from plants

zone of aeration

region above the water table in which the pore spaces are filled with water and air

reservoir

a man made lake

irrigation

supplying water to areas of dry land to make them more suitable for growing crops

artesian well

well that flows on its own without being pumped

aquifer

a porous and permeable layer of soil, regolith of rock from which ground water can be pumped

spring

place where water flows out of the ground

eutrophication

process in which lakes and ponds become rich in nutrients from the surrounding watershed causing algae growth and depletion of oxygen

permeability

the ability of a substance to permit water to pass through it

lake

a depression in the surface materials of a landscape that holds water

pore spaces

empty spaces in the bedrock and soil that can be filled with air or water

cavern

type of underground passage hat forms when groundwater dissolves limestone, dolomite, marble or gypsum

desalination

removal of salt from saltwater in order to make the water usable

impermeable

substance that water cannot pass through

nonpoint source

widely spread source of pollution that can not be tied to a specific point of origin

zone of saturation

region below the water table in which the pore spaces are completely filled with water

porosity

the amount of pore spaces in soil or rock

sink hole

depression on the surface cause by collapse of a ceiling of a shallow cavern

precipitation

rain, hail, snow, sleet

point source

specific source of pollution that can be identified

cone of depression

region around a well in which the water table is Iowered due to rapid removal of water from the zone of saturation

water cycle

the movement of water between plants and animals, the atmosphere, and the Earths surface and underground

water shed

an area that is drained by a river or system of rivers, a drainage basin