4.1 - 4.7 Science

Evaporation

The change of a substance from a liquid to a gas

Condensation

The process where water vapor becomes liquid

Precipitation

any kind of weather condition where something's falling from the sky

Sublimation

A change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid

Runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

Estuaries

an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean

Ground Water

water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock

Sediment

Matter that is carried by water or wind and deposited on the surface of the land or the bottom of a body of water

Erosion

Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away

Dredging

The removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors, and other water bodies

Deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

Percolation

The process by which water moves downward in the soil, toward the water table

Aquitard

Impervious layer of clay, silt, or rock

Saturated zone

As more rain falls, water completely fills the spaces above the impervious layer, causing the soil to become saturated with water

Water table

The upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater

Aquifers

Large accumulations of underground water in soil or rock

Salinity

the concentrations of salts in water or soils

Liquid

composed of molecules that move freely among themselves but do not tend to separate

Basin

a depression, or dip, in the Earth's surface

Water vapour

water in a gaseous form

Water cycle

The continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere

Floods

water overflows or soaks land that is normally dry

Dam

A barrier to prevent the flow of a liquid

Water table

the upper surface of the zone of saturation

Acid precipitation

any form of precipitation whose acidity has been increased through the intake of acid pollutants from the air

Brackish water

water with salinity levels between fresh water and seawater

Water disposal

any discharge of water, including wastewater and/or drainage water, into water bodies

Flocculate

a water treatment process where solids form larger clusters, or flocs, to be removed from water

Aeration

the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or substance

Fresh water

water that contains only minimal quantities of dissolved salts

Solid

state of matter which has a fixed shape, mass, and volume

Gas

a type of matter that has no defined shape or volume

Transpiration

a process that involves loss of water vapour through the stomata of plants

Avalanche

mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside

Levees

natural or artificial wall that blocks water from going where we don't want it to go

Dikes

barrier used to regulate or hold back water from a river, lake, or even the ocean

Capillary action

when liquids can flow in a narrow space, even against gravity

Coliform bacteria

bacteria that are always present in the digestive tracts of animals, including humans, and are found in their wastes

Water treatment

a process of making water suitable for its application or returning its natural state

Sewage

a type of wastewater that is produced from a community of people

Chlorination

he process of adding chlorine or chlorine compounds to water

Septic system

an underground chamber made of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater (sewage) flows for basic sewage treatment