Env Science#3 Waster Use

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19 Terms

1
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What is the hydrologic cycle?

The natural process by which water is purified and made fresh through evaporation and precipitation.

2
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Define rain shadow.

A dry area on the downwind side of a mountain.

3
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What does residence time refer to?

The length of time a component, such as an individual water molecule, spends in a specific compartment or location before it moves on.

4
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What is groundwater?

Water held in gravel deposits or porous rock below the earth's surface.

5
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What is infiltration?

The process of water percolation into the soil and the pores and hollows of permeable rocks.

6
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What is the zone of aeration?

Upper soil layers that hold both air and water.

7
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What defines the zone of saturation?

Lower soil layers where all spaces are filled with water.

8
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What is the water table?

The top layer of the zone of saturation; undulates according to the surface topography and subsurface structure.

9
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What are aquifers?

Porous, water-bearing layers of sand, gravel, and rock below the earth's surface; reservoirs for groundwater.

10
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What is an artesian well?

A pressurized aquifer from which water gushes without being pumped, due to the aquifer intersecting the surface or being penetrated by a pipe.

11
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Define recharge zones.

An area where water infiltrates an aquifer.

12
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What is discharge?

The amount of water that passes a fixed point in a given amount of time.

13
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What are renewable water supplies?

Annual freshwater surface runoff plus annual infiltration into underground freshwater aquifers that are accessible for human use.

14
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What is water scarcity?

When annual available freshwater supplies are less than 1000m^3 (264,000) per person.

15
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Define water stress.

A situation when residents of a country don't have enough accessible, high-quality water to meet their everyday needs.

16
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What does withdrawal refer to in water terms?

The total amount of water taken from a lake, river, or aquifer.

17
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What is consumption regarding water?

The fraction of withdrawn water that is lost in transmission or otherwise made unavailable for other purposes.

18
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Define saltwater intrusion.

Movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers in coastal areas where groundwater is withdrawn faster than it is replenished.

19
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What is subsidence?

A settling of the ground surface caused by the collapse of porous formations from the withdrawal of large amounts of groundwater, oil, or other underground materials.