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Unit 8
Water, Weathering, Erosion, Deposition
Term | Definition |
---|---|
surface water | Water above ground in lakes, rivers, streams, etc. |
groundwater | Water that fills the spaces between rock and soil particles below surface level. |
water table | The top level or boundary of groundwater. |
tributary | A smaller river or stream that feeds into a river system. |
watershed | The area of land that drains water into a river system. They are separated by divides. |
divide | A ridge or higher elevation that separates watersheds. |
aquifer | An underground layer of rock that stores groundwater and allows it to move. |
porosity | The percentage of spaces in underground layers that can store water. |
permeability | How easily water can flow through the spaces in underground rock layers. |
recharge | Surface water that flows through spaces to add to groundwater. |
potable | Water that is considered safe to drink |
reservoir | A large man-made body of water; usually formed behind a dam. |
point-source pollution | Waste or harmful material that comes from one specific site. Ex: oil spills |
weathering | The breaking of rock into smaller pieces by either physical or chemical processes. |
erosion | The process that moves sediment, broken pieces of rock, from one place to another. |
deposition | The process that drops eroded material in a new location. This typically happens as movement of sediment slows down and heavier pieces fall out first. |
floodplain | A large flat area of land on either side of a river with layers of nutrient rich sediment. |
delta | A fan-shaped pattern formed as a river slows down and deposits sediment in a lake or sea. The sediment may form new land and islands. |
barrier island | A long, narrow island that forms parallel to the shoreline and is usually made of sand. |