Studied by 1 person
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
Evaporation
The process where liquid water turns into water vapor.
Condensation
The process where water vapor cools and turns back into liquid water.
Transpiration
The release of water vapor into the atmosphere from plants.
Infiltration
The movement of water into rock or other earth materials through pore spaces.
Surface Runoff
Water that flows over land, typically after precipitation.
Watershed
The entire land area that drains into a given river, stream, or wetland.
Watershed boundary
Elevated terrain that separates neighboring watersheds.
Porosity
The amount of space available to hold water in a material.
Permeability
The ability of a material to allow water to pass through it.
Aquifer
Loose earth materials or rock zones through which groundwater can collect and easily move.
Point-source contamination
Pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source, such as a leaky tank.
Non-point source contamination
Pollution that comes from multiple, diffuse sources, such as fertilizer applied over a large area.
What is the role of precipitation in a water cycle?
Precipitation is water released from clouds in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail.
What happens to the water table when more wells are added?
The water table lowers as more water is pumped out.
What leads to an increase in the water table?
Above normal precipitation can raise the water table.
What material has the highest porosity?
Gravel has the highest porosity because it has more pore space.
What material has the highest permeability?
Gravel has the highest permeability due to its connected spaces for liquid to pass through.
How does clay compare to gravel in terms of porosity and permeability?
Gravel has higher porosity and permeability because of its larger particle size, while clay has smaller, more compact particles.
Surface runoff
The process by which excess water from precipitation flows over land, potentially contaminating drinking water supplies.
Note 
Flashcard (30)