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chapter 11
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Surface Water | All 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 organism, a virus, or protein that causes disease, an infectious agent |
| Dam | A structure that is built across a river to control the 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 water |
| Point - Source Pollution | Pollution that comes from a specific site |
| Nonpoint - Source Pollution | Pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single specific site; an example is pollution that reaches a body of water from streets and storm sewers |
| Wastewater | Water that contains wastes from homes or industries |
| 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 |