Science Ch 11

Front 1

erosion

Back 1

the removal and transport of surface material, such as rock and soil

Front 2

water cycle

Back 2

the continuous movement of water from water sources, such as lakes or oceans, into the air, onto land, into the ground, and back to the water sources

Front 3

runoff

Back 3

water that flows across land and collects in rivers, streams, and eventlually the ocean

Front 4

precipitation

Back 4

rain snow sleet or hail that falls from clouds onto earth's surface

Front 5

evaporation

Back 5

occurs when liquid water from the earth's surface and from living organisms changes into water vapor

Front 6

condensation

Back 6

occurs when water vapor cools and changes into liquid water droplets that form clouds in the atmosphere

Front 7

infiltration

Back 7

movement of water into the ground due to the pull of gravity

Front 8

percolation

Back 8

the downward movement of water through pores and other spaces in soil due to gravity

Front 9

tributaries

Back 9

smaller streams or rivers that flow into larger ones

Front 10

drainage basin

Back 10

watershed is the land drained by a river system which includes the main river and all of its tributaries

Front 11

divide

Back 11

an area of higher ground than the basins it separates

Front 12

channel

Back 12

the path that a stream follows

Front 13

gradient

Back 13

the measure of change in elevation over a certain distance

Front 14

discharge

Back 14

amounto of water a stream or river carries in a given amoungt of time

Front 15

load

Back 15

materials carried in a stream's water are collectively called this

Front 16

bed load

Back 16

lare materials carried by a stream pebbles and boulders

Front 17

suspended load

Back 17

small rocks and soil in suspension that a river can carry that makes it look muddy

Front 18

dissolved load

Back 18

carried in solution which is dissolved in the water like sodium or calcium

Front 19

youthful rivers

Back 19

river that erodes its channel deeper rather than wider flows quickly has a steep gradient few tributaries rapids and waterfalls

Front 20

mature rivers

Back 20

river that erodes channel wider than deeper gradient not very steep few falls and rapids fed by many tributaries good drainage more discharge

Front 21

old rivers

Back 21

river with low gradient extremely low erosive power deposit sediment in channel and banks wide flat flood plains more meanders fewer tributaries

Front 22

rejuvenated rivers

Back 22

rivers occur where land is raised by tectonic forces when land rises gradient becomes steeper allows water to cut more deeply into valley floor steplike terraces on both sides

Front 23

deposition

Back 23

process by which material is dropped, or settles

Front 24

alluvium

Back 24

rock and soil deposited by streams

Front 25

placer deposit

Back 25

deposits placed whaere the current slows down in a river

Front 26

delta

Back 26

the river reaches a large body of water forming a ganshaped deposit

Front 27

alluvial fans

Back 27

fan shaped deposits form on dry land where mountain meets the flat land

Front 28

flood plain

Back 28

a sudden increase in the volume of water causing it to overflow into the surrounding land

Front 29

ground water

Back 29

water located within the rocks below earths surface

Front 30

water table

Back 30

underground boundary where two zones meet

Front 31

aquifer

Back 31

rock layer that stores and allows the flow of ground water

Front 32

porosity

Back 32

amount of open space between individual rock particles

Front 33

permeability

Back 33

rocks ability to let water pass through it

Front 34

recharge zone

Back 34

ground surface where water enters and aquifer

Front 35

artesian springs

Back 35

springs that form where cracks occur natrually in the cap rock and the pressurized water in the aquifer flows through cracks to the surface

Front 36

well

Back 36

human made hole that is deeper than the level of the water table

Front 37

stalactite

Back 37

form on top of cave

Front 38

stalagmite

Back 38

form on ground of cave

Front 39

dripstone

Back 39

depostits of calcium carbonate

Front 40

sinkholes

Back 40

circular depression where a cave collapsed

Front 41

point source pollution

Back 41

type of pollution that comes from one particular point

Front 42

nonpoint source pollution

Back 42

type of pollution that is much more difficult to control because it doesnt come from a single source

Front 43

sewage treatment plants

Back 43

factories taht clean the waste materials out of water that comes from the sewer or drains

Front 44

primary treatment

Back 44

first series of steps sewage goes through to be cleaned

Front 45

secondary treatment

Back 45

steps after that sewage goes through to be cleaned

Front 46

septic tank

Back 46

large underground tank that collects and cleans waste into the tank where the solids sink to the bottom

Front 47

drain field

Back 47

buried pipes distribute the water enabling it to soak into the ground