Chapter 4 Key Terms Flashcards
Surface Water
water that collects on the surface of the ground
River System
the patterns formed by the streams, rivers, and lakes in a particular drainage basin
Watershed
an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas
Ground Water
water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock
Aquifer
a body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater
Porosity
a measure of the void spaces in a material
Permeability
the state or quality of a material or membrane that causes it to allow liquids or gases to pass through it
Recharge Zone
The area in which water enters an aquifer
Potable
Safe to drink
Pathogen
a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease
Dam
a barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, forming a reservoir used to generate electricity or as a water supply
Reservior
a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply
Desalination
the process of removing salt from seawater
Water Pollution
the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities
Point source pollution
single identifiable source of air, water, thermal, noise or light pollution
Non-point source sollution
pollution resulting from many diffuse sources, in direct contrast to point source pollution which results from a single source.
Waste water
water that has been used in the home, in a business, or as part of an industrial process
Artificial eutrophication
humans artificially cause an overabundance of nutrients in an ecosystem.
Thermal Pollution
the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature
Biomagnification
the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed
