Unit 1: Hydrosphere study guide

Fill in the blank next to each number with corresponding water cycle process.

1. Evaporation, 2. Advection, 3. Condensation, 4. Precipitation, 5. Rivers & streams, 6. groundwater

What percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water? where is most of it found?

70% & oceans.

3 of the water's most unique qualities

LIquid, Solid, & gas

Substances in order of least to greatest permeability

Clay, Silt, plastic, sand, & gravel

what is the difference between direct & indirect use? give an example of both.(direct)

Direct-using a faucet or hose(example: bathing, drinking, & cooking.

what is the difference between direct & indirect use? give an example of both.(indirect)

indirect use- water used to produce the goods & services(example: cotton, paper, & more.

Porosity

amount of space available to hold water(depends on size & sorting of particles.

Permeability

Ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it

saturated zone

the area of permeable rock or soil that is totally filled or saturated with water

unsaturated zone

both oxygen & water fill the spaces between sediment that is not saturated

Water table

The top of the saturated zone & separates it from the zone of aeration.

Aquifer

zones of Earth's crust in which water can easily move.

Artesian well

Well from which water flows on its own without pumping

Watershed

the entire land area that drains to a given river, stream, wetland, or lake.

Divide

the boundary of a watershed that is characterized by the highest point in a particular region.

Groundwater

the water that is beneath Earth's surface

Heat capacity

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance

Infiltration

the movement of surface water into rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces

Evaporation

the process by which water is converted from a liquid to a gas or vapor.

Advection

the transfer of heat or matter by the flow of a fluid, especially horizontally in the atmosphere or the sea.

Condensation

The change of state from a gas to a liquid

Precipitation

water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail

Surface runoff

water that flows over land surface rather than infiltrating into the ground

Transpiration

the release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants

Adhesion

attraction between molecules of different substances

Cohesion

an attraction between molecules of the same substance

Surface tension

property of liquid surface that allows it to resist an external force.

Water as a solvent

a substances capable of dissolving other polar molecules & ionic compounds.

Mouth(of river)

place where a stream or river flows into a larger body of water

Tributaries

small river or stream that flows in to a larger river or stream; a branch of the river

Erosion

a process that wears away surface materials & moves them from one place to another.

Deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

River upper course

when a river runs over alternating layers of hard & soft.

River middle course

found on gently sloping land, & is typically identified by it's meandering path( the sweeping side to side curves.

River lower course

has a low energy level & the process of deposition takes place.

Delta

flat, low-lying land plain that sometimes forms at the mouth of a river from deposits of sediment.

Why is sediment deposited at the mouth of a river?

It's because of the river slows down at the mouth, so it doesn't have the energy to carry all the silt, sand, & clay anymore.

Summarize the erosion & deposition characteristics of the 3 different courses of a river. (upper course)

Vertical erosion is the main process in the upper course of the river, as the river wants to get to sea level. This process created 5 unique features; a v-shaped valley, interlocking spurs, gorges, & rapids

Summarize the erosion & deposition characteristics of the 3 different courses of a river. (middle course)

The river has more energy & a high volume of water. The gradient is gentle & lateral(sideways) erosion has widened the river channel. It created wider, shallower valleys, meanders & oxbow lakes.

Summarize the erosion & deposition characteristics of the 3 different courses of a river. (lower course)

The river has high volume & a large discharge. The river channel is now deep, wide, & the landscape around it is flat, As a river reaches the end of its journey , energy levels are low & deposition takes place. It created wide flat-bottomed valleys, floodplains, & deltas.

explain the relationship between river/stream velocity & the size of sediment that can be transported.

Both the size & amount of sediment transported in a stream are determined by the speed of the stream. Higher velocities equal the stream has more kinetic energy, As a result, higher velocities carry larger sediments.