I.
The Hydrologic Cycle =
the natural circulation of water from ocean to
atmosphere to ground, back to ocean.
A. water is constantly circulating
B. powered by heat of the sun and gravity
C. total amount of water vapor in atmosphere remains
constant
II.
Groundwater =
subsurface water in the zone of saturation
A. 98.5% of fresh water is below the earth’s surface
B. Porosity = the volume of open space in a soil or
rock sample
C. Permeability = the ability of a material to
transmit fluid
D. Water table = all pore spaces below this area are
filled with water (saturated)
E. Aquifer = any water-bearing underground layer
where water can flow
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1. Artesian system- water flows out of the aquifer,
to the surface, due to pressure from
above(naturally-spring, drilled-well)
II. Topography
A. Caves- caused by running underground water on
rock
B. Sinkholes- funnel shaped holes where caves have
collapsed
III. Water quality
A. Crucial factor in the quality of our lives
B. Water is hard from calcium bicarbonates picked up
from landscape
C. Contamination /pollution
1. Leachate- water that has ran through
contaminated areas picking up soluble
substances
2. Human activity is the primary source
a. factories
b. sewage (septic tanks)
c. chemical spills
i. accidental (landfills, storage
tanks…)
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ii. intentional (fertilizers)
IV. Glaciers =
a large mass of ice formed by the compaction and
recrystallization of snow, moving down slope
under its own weight.
A. powerful agents of erosion
B. sublimate = to turn directly to
water vapor before becoming
water
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