fresh and salt water systems

Salt water

Found in oceans.

Fresh water

Found in lakes, rivers, glaciers.

Water cycle

How water moves through Earth.

Water quantity

How much water is available.

Water quality

How clean and safe the water is.

Valley glacier / Continental glacier

Huge moving ice sheets.

Glacier

A large, slow-moving mass of ice.

Iceberg / Pack ice

Floating ice in oceans.

Crevasse

Deep crack in a glacier.

Calve

When a chunk of ice breaks off a glacier.

Ice cap / Icefield / Icefall

Big icy areas on land.

Striations

Scratches left on rocks by moving glaciers.

Cirques / Arête / Horn

Mountain shapes carved by glaciers.

Moraine / Outwash / Till

Rock and dirt left behind by glaciers.

Esker

A winding ridge made by streams under glaciers.

Millwell

A hole in a glacier made by water.

Deposition

When water drops off dirt and rocks it’s carrying.

Lake / Pond / Stream / Rivers

Different kinds of freshwater.

Continental Divide

A ridge that decides which way water flows.

Flood plain

Flat land near rivers that can flood.

Wetlands

Swampy land full of water and life.

Outflow

Water leaving a lake or pond.

Headwaters / Streamflow

Where a stream or river begins and flows.

Groundwater

Water stored under the ground.

Aquifer

Underground water source.

Water table

The top of groundwater

Permeable

Lets water pass through.

Impermeable

Doesn’t let water pass through.

Run-off

Water that flows over land and into streams.

Contamination

Polluted or dirty water.

Point sources / Non-point sources

Where pollution comes from (one place vs. many).

Surface water

Water you can see (like lakes or rivers).

Clarity

How clear the water is.

Watershed

An area of land where all the water drains into one main river or lake.

Trenches:

Very deep parts of the ocean floor, like underwater canyons.

Abyssal plains

Flat, wide areas on the bottom of the ocean.

Continental shelf

The underwater edge of a continent that slowly slopes down.

Continental slope

The steep slope after the continental shelf drops toward the deep ocean.

Waves

Movements of water on the surface of oceans and lakes.

Swells

Long, smooth waves that travel across the ocean.

Breaker

A wave that becomes too tall and crashes near the shore.

Tides

The regular rise and fall of ocean water caused by the moon’s gravity.

Spring tides

Extra high and low tides that happen when the sun, Earth, and moon line up.

Neap tides

Tides that are not very high or low because the moon and sun pull at different angles.

Currents

Moving streams of water in the ocean, like underwater rivers.

Longshore currents

Currents that move sand and water along the shore.

Trade winds

Winds that blow across the ocean in regular patterns and help move currents.

Westerly winds

Winds that blow from the west and affect weather and ocean movement.

Tidal range

The difference between how high the water is at high tide and low tide.

Thermocline

A layer in the ocean where the temperature drops quickly with depth.

Heat capacity

How well water holds heat; it warms up and cools down slowly.

Toxic substances:

Harmful chemicals that can make water dangerous for plants, animals, or people.

Effluent

Dirty water or waste that flows out from a factory or sewage plant.

Dissolved solids

Tiny substances (like salt or minerals) mixed into water that you can’t see.

Hard water

Water with a lot of minerals like calcium; it can make soap not work well.

Soft water

Water with fewer minerals; it’s better for cleaning and soap.

Algal bloom

A quick growth of algae in water, sometimes causing pollution and killing fish.

Algae

Tiny water plants that can be helpful or harmful depending on how much there is.

Decomposed

When dead plants or animals break down into tiny pieces by bacteria or fungi.

Detritus

Bits of dead plants or animals floating in the water.

Diversity

A variety of different kinds of plants and animals in an ecosystem.

Bioindicator species

Animals or plants that show if water is healthy or polluted.

Biomagnification

When pollution gets stronger as it moves up the food chain (like from tiny fish to big fish to people).

Potable

Water that is safe to drink.

Water treatment:

Cleaning dirty water so it's safe for drinking or putting back into nature.

Water monitoring

Checking water regularly to make sure it’s safe and clean.

Water management

Planning how to use water wisely and protect it.

Septic tank

An underground tank near a house that treats wastewater from the bathroom and kitchen.

Sewage

Wastewater from toilets, sinks, and showers that needs to be cleaned.