Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
The process that describes how water moves through Earth's atmosphere, surface, and underground otherwise known as the WATER CYCLE. Water evaporates, rains, and flows, repeating in a cycle.
FLOWPATH
The path water takes through the environment.
PRECIPITATION
Water falling from the sky in forms like rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
EVAPORATION
Water turning from liquid to vapor (gas).
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
The sum of all the processes by which water moves from surface to the atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration.
RUNOFF
Water that flows over land to rivers, lakes, and oceans (instead of soaking into the ground).
WATER TABLE
The boundary between the saturated and unsaturated zones.
SURFACE RUNOFF
Water flowing across the surface (rivers, streams, etc.) due to precipitation.
INTERCEPTION
The process of precipitation accumulating on vegetation and tree foliage.
DEPRESSION STORAGE
Water temporarily collecting in low areas (depressions) in the landscape.
INFILTRATION
Water soaking into the soil from the surface.
RECHARGE
Water replenishing the groundwater supply.
BASEFLOW
Slow, steady flow of water into rivers or streams from underground sources.
DISCHARGE
The quantity of water in a stream that passes a given point in a period of time.
UNSATURATED ZONE (VADOSE)
The area of soil and rock between the land's surface and the water table.
CAPILLARY FRINGE
The thin zone where water is pulled up from the saturated zone by capillary forces.
SATURATED ZONE (PHREATIC)
The underground layer completely filled with water.
SOIL
The top layer of the Earth's surface where plants grow.
REGOLITH
Loose material like soil or broken rock covering the bedrock.
BEDROCK
The foundation of the Earth's crust.
AQUIFER
An underground layer of sediment that stores and transmits water.
The traditional hydrologic cycle
The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the Earth's surface. It goes Evaporation → Condensation → Precipitation → Infiltration/Runoff → Recharge → Baseflow (ECPIRRB).
How do we know that water is moving in the subsurface?
We observe it through water flow and the movement of groundwater. We also see the changes in water levels using instruments like tracers.
What are the three important layers that water occurs in the subsurface?
Unsaturated Zone. 2) Saturated Zone and 3) The water Table.
