Ch.14: Water

Surface water

water found on Earth's surface

Runoff

water that flows over land and has not been absorbed by the land.

Watershed

all of the land area that supplies water or drains into a river system

River system

a network of connected streams and rivers

Groundwater

water found below Earth's surface.

Aquifer

permeable layers of rock and soil that hold water

permeable

contains pore spaces that water can flow through

impermeable

contains few pore spaces, water can not flow through

water table

the boundary that separates the zone of saturation from the zone of aeration (or the upper part of the aquifer)

recharge zone

area where water soaks into the ground and reaches an aquifer

well

a hole dug into an aquifer to reach groundwater

water diversion

the process of moving water from its source to places it is needed

dam

a structure built across a river to control the river's flow

reservoir

artificial lake created by a dam; stores water for human use.

Desalination

"Making" fresh water by removing salt from saltwater.

point-source pollution

water pollution that comes from one distinct source that is easy to identify

nonpoint-source pollution

water pollution that comes from many places, spread out over a large area; not easy to identify the source

Eutrophication

Excess nitrogen & phosphorus in the water causing nutrient pollution.

sediment pollution

Unusually large amounts of sediment that change an aquatic environment

thermal pollution

a heat source that raises the temperature of a waterway

Biological pollution

occurs when pathogens enter a waterway.

pathogens

disease-causing organisms and viruses

algal bloom

sudden growth of algae in a body of water (sometimes this produces a red tide)

The Clean Water Act

A government regulation that decreased water pollution, signed in 1977.