Water Systems Review 2026

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to water systems, hydrology, and environmental science.

Water

A clear, colourless, tasteless, and odourless substance.

Aquifer

A geological formation of loose rock or soil that is saturated with groundwater.

Concentration

The amount of salt in a substance.

Salinity

A measure of the amount of salt in a water sample.

Desalinization

The process of heating water to evaporate salt particles and then cooling the water vapour to make liquid water.

Turbidity

The clarity of the water.

Heat Sink

A substance that absorbs heat but does not heat up much.

Heat Capacity

The amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance.

Polar Ice Cap

Ice caps that are permanently covered in ice.

Thermal Pollution

When human activities raise the temperature of a water body.

Acidity

Measures the concentration of dissolved hydrogen atoms in a water sample.

Weather

Day to day environmental conditions at a specific place and time.

Climate

Average of the weather patterns in an area over an extended period of time.

Sea breeze

A breeze created by air over warm land moving to create a cooler breeze.

Land breeze

A convection current created by different temperatures, resulting in a breeze off of warmer water.

Glaciers

Large areas of ice that accumulate in areas where the temperature is below freezing.

Icebergs

Large chunks of ice that have broken off ice caps or glaciers.

Ground Water

Water that seeps through soil and cracks in rocks.

Water table

The depth at which soil or rock is completely saturated with water.