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ch11 environ sci voc
Question | Answer |
---|---|
surface water | all the bodies of fresh water, salt water, ice and snow that are found above the ground |
river system | A flowing network of rivers and streams draining a river basin |
watershed | the area of land that is drained by a water system |
groundwater | the water that is beneath the Earth's surface |
aquifer | a body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater |
porosity | the percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces |
permeability | the ability of a rock or sediment to let fluids pass through its open spaces or pores |
recharge zone | an area in which water travels downward to become part of an aquifer |
potable | suitable for drinking |
pathogen | a microorganism, another organisms, a virus, or a protein that causes disease; and infectious agent |
dam | a structure that is built across a river to control a river's flow |
reservoir | An artificial body of water that usually forms behind a dam |
desalination | a process of removing salt from ocean water |
water pollution | contamination of water by waste matter or other material that is harmful to organisms that are exposed to the water |
point source pollution | pollution that comes from a specific site |
nonpoint source pollution | pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a specific site |
waste water | water that contains wastes from homes or industry |
artificial eutrophication | a process that increases the amount of nutrients in a body of water through human activities, such as waste disposal and land drainage |
thermal pollution | a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity and that has a harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life |
biomagnification | the accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain |