Water- Chapter 24
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. Infiltration- the seepage of water into soil or rock.
e. water table- all pore spaces below this area are filled with water (saturated)
f. aquifer-any water-bearing underground layer where water can flow
g. artesian system- water flows out of the aquifer, to the surface, due to pressure from
above(naturally-spring, drilled-well)
h. Topography
i. Caves- caused by running underground water on rock
ii. 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
i. Leachate- water that has ran through contaminated areas picking up soluble substances
ii. Human activity is the primary source
1. factories
2. sewage (septic tanks)
3. chemical spills
a. accidental (landfills, storage tanks…)
b. 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- turn directly to water vapor before becoming water
c. Ablation- the amount of snow mass a glacier looses per year.