Earth's Waters - Ch. 1

photosynthesis

the process by which plants and some other organisms make food from carbon dioxide and water

habitat

an environment that provides the things an organism needs to live

ground water

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

water cycle

the continual movement of water among Earth's atmosphere

transpiration

the process by which plants give off water vapor through their leaves

precipitation

any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface

tributaries

a stream or smaller river that feeds into a main river

watershed

the land area that supplies water to a river system

divide

a ridge of land that separates one watershed from another

reservoir

a lake that stores water for human use

nutrients

a substance such as nitrogen or phosphorus that enables plants and algae to grow

eutrophication

the process by which nutrients in a lake build up over time and cause an increase in the growth of algae

wetlands

a land area that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year

permeable

a characteristic of materials , such as sand and gravel, through which water easily passes through

impermeable

a characteristic of materials, such as clay and granite, through which water does not easily pass through

saturated zone

the area of permeable rock or soil in which the cracks and pores are totally filled with water

water table

the top of the saturated zone

unsaturated zone

the layer of rocks and soil above the water table in which the pores contain air as well as water

aquifer

an underground layer of permeable rock or sediment that holds water

artesian well

a well in which water rises because of pressure within the aquifier