Watershed Vocabulary Part 2

Chemical Weathering

The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes.

Physical Weathering

The process that breaks rocks apart without changing their chemical composition.

Salinity

The degree or measure of the saltiness of water.

Water Quality

The degree of purity of water, determined by measuring the substances in water, besides water molecules.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living factors, such as water, temperature, soil, and light that influence the ecosystem.

Biotic Factors

Organisms that make up the living part of an ecosystem.

Floodplain

A low plain next to a river that is created from river sediment and is periodically flooded.

Point Source Pollution

A specific source of pollution that can be identifies, such as a pipe.

Nonpoint Source Pollution

A widely spread source of pollution, such as road runoff, that is difficult to link to a specific point of origin.

Deposition

The process by which sediment settles out of the water or wind that is carrying it, and is deposited in a new location.

Infiltration

The process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil.

Water Table

The upper level of an underground surface in which the soil or rocks are permanently saturated with water. (Is also called Groundwater Table)