Water Movement and Quality Vocabulary

reservoir

a water storage source

hydrosphere

all water on Earth

atmosphere

all gases that surround Earth

geosphere

all rock on Earth

biosphere

all living things on Earth

freezing

below 0°C

melting

above 100°C

condensation

the process in which water vapor assumes its liquid form

evaporation

the process in which water assumes its gaseous form

sublimation

the process in which a solid assumes its gaseous form directly

vaporization

the process in which a solid or liquid assumes its gaseous form

infiltration

the movement of surface water into the top layer of soil and plant roots

percolation

the movement of water through the soil itself

runoff

water that flows across the Earth’s surface

precipitation

water that falls from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

transpiration

the process in which water is evaporated from plants

endothermic

used to describe a process that uses energy

exothermic

used to describe a process that releases energy

absorption

the process in which water is being assimilated into cells

consumption

the process where water is ingested

elevation

the height (of a point) above sea level

topography

the arrangement of physical features in a given area

contour line

a line drawn on a topographic map that can help provide information about the topography of an area

factors that influence how runoff travels

precipitation type, size and shape of the watershed, geographical and meteorlogical characteristics, land use

infiltration rate

the speed at which water can penetrate the top layer of soil

permeable

used to describe a surface that water can easily infiltrate

impermeable

used to describe a surface that water cannot infiltrate or take a lot of time to do so

forestry

land that is used to grow and harvest trees

rural/suburban

land where humans live in a moderately dense area

urban

land where humans live in a dense area

agriculture

land used to grow crops or livestock

industrial

land containing manufacturing or power generating facilities

mining

land used for surface or underground excavation of certain minerals

pH

a measurement of the acidity or basicity of a sample of water

fecal coliform bacteria

a bacteria found in the digestive tracts of many animals and humans

temperature

the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a sample of water

turbidity

a measurement of water clarity (clouded, discolored, etc.)

dissolved oxygen

a measurement of the amount of free oxygen dissolved in water

macroinvertebrate

an animal that lacks a backbone and can be seen with the naked eye

nitrates

a key ingredient for living things to grow (N)

phosphates

a key ingredient for living things to grow (P)

trash

any discarded, man-made object that ends up in an unintended place

inorganic pollution

pollution from suspended or dissolved solids

organic pollution

pollution from the decomposition of organisms and their by-products

toxic pollution

pollution from materials harmful to human or animal life

thermal pollution

pollution caused by a sudden change in the temperature of water

point-source pollution

pollution that can be easily tracked to a single source

non-point-source pollution

pollution that cannot be easily tracked to a single source