APES Unit 2

hydrologic cycle

path for water, unequal distribution do to atmospheric circulation and topography

agriculture

greatest consumption of water, irrigation

domestic and industrial

20% water withdrawn, factories

groundwater

water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers

depletion

removing groundwater faster than natural exchange

cone of depression

lowering of the water table around a pumping well

subsidence

settling or sinking of surface above

desalination

A process of removing salt from ocean water

reverse osmosis

forces water through membranes to filter out salts

point source

A specific source of pollution that can be identified

non point source

water pollution that does not have a specific point of origin

DO

oxygen dissolved in water, dictates aquatic life, oxygen enters by turbulence and photsynthesis

BOD

oxygen demand, organic matter stimulates

lake overturn

in the fall and spring all lake layers mix to equalize temperatures at all depths. these events bring oxygen from surface to bottom of lake and nutrients from lake bottom to the surface

fecal coliform

tests for bacteria that life in the intestines of humans or other animals

Eutrophication

A phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients, high biological productivity

oligatrophic lake

nutrient poor and oxygen rich lake, young lake

clean water act

return all US surface waters to swimmable conditions

primary treatment

physically separates large solids from waste stream

secondary treatment

biological degradation of dissolved organic compounds

tertiary treatment

removes nitrates and phosphates by passing thru wetland, lagoon, or by chemical means

transpiration

loss of water from a plant through its leaves

Infiltration

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

rain shadow

a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side

thermal pollution

a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity and that has a harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life

oxygen sags

a graph showing the decrease and subsequent recovery of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in a river downstream from a pollution source

hypoxic zones

Areas of water lacking in oxygen, often due to algal blooms

cultural eutrophication

An increase in biological productivity and ecosystem succession caused by human activities.

oceans

97.5% of all water

icecaps and glaciers

79% of freshwater

groundwatee

20% of freshwater

lakes

52% of surface freshwater

soil moisture

38% of surface freshwater

atmospheric water vapor

8% of surface freshwater

rivers

1% of surface freshwater

water in organisms

1% of surface freshwater