Earth Science Chapter 6, Running Water and Ground Water

water cycle

the continuous cycle of water from the surface, to evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff and infiltration, back to the oceans

transpiration

evaporation of water from plants

runoff

water that does not infiltrate into the ground, but rather, flows along the surface, flowing into rivers and streams

infiltration

water that is absorbed by soil. Some of this water will become ground water

hydrosphere

all the water on the Earth

oceans

bodies of water containing 97.2% of all the water on Earth

glaciers

non-ocean portion of the hydrosphere, containing 2.15% of all the water on Earth

groundwater

water underground, in the zone of saturation. Contains about .62% of all the water on Earth

gradient

the slope or steepness of a stream channel

stream channel

the course that the water in a stream flows

discharge

the volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given amount of time (example: 2,000 liters per minute)

tributary

a stream that empties into another stream

base level

the lowest level to which a stream can erode. It is the level of the body of water the stream empties into, such as the ocean.

meander

a bend in a stream flowing through a broad, flat valley,

oxbow lake

a lake formed by a cutoff meander

dissolved load

material carried in solution by a stream

suspended load

undissolved material that is carried by a stream

bed load

material that is transported by bouncing or rolling on the bottom

capacity

the maximum load a stream can carry. The combination of dissolved load, suspended load, and bed load

alluvium

material deposited by a stream

delta

accumulation of sediment deposited where a stream enters a lake or ocean

natural levee

ridge of sediment on the banks of a stream, deposited by periodic floods

floodplain

flat, low-lying portion of a stream valley subjected to periodic flooding

drainage basin

also called a watershed, it is the land area that contributes to a particular stream

divide

area of high land that separates one drainage basin from another

zone of saturation

depth at which all pore space between sediments is filled with water

water table

the upper boundary of the zone of saturation

porosity

the percentage of pore space in rock or sediment

permeability

the ease with which water moves through connected pore spaces

aquifer

permeable rock or sediment layer that can store and transmit water easily

spring

an area where the surface intersects with the water table. Groundwater comes to the surface at these areas

well

a hole bored down below the water table, into the zone of saturation

artesian well

a well where groundwater comes out under its own pressure

drawdown

lowering of the water table as a result of water removal by a well

cone of depression

cone shaped area of drawdown around a well that is heavily pumping

cavern

naturally formed underground chamber that forms in the zone of saturation

travertine

form of limestone that is formed as a chemical sedimentary rock

sinkhole

surface depression formed when a cavern collapses

Karst topography

surface landscape formed by rock dissolving at or near the surface. Includes sinkholes, sinking streams, caverns, towers, fissures and other landforms

Geyser

an intermittent hot spring or fountain in which a column of water shoots up with great force at regular intervals