Name: ______________________
Earth Science
Date: ____
Ms. Natale
Water Cycle, Landscapes & Groundwater Review - Facts & Vocabulary
1. Water Cycle (Hydrologic Cycle) - describes the continuous movement of water on, above,
& below the surface of the Earth.
2. Sun - drives the water cycle & heats water in the oceans.
3. Evaporation - process of converting liquid water to a gaseous form in the environment.
4. Condensation - water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming
clouds.
5. Condensation nuclei (dust, salt, ash, organic matter, etc.) must be present for clouds to
form.
6. Transpiration - release of absorbed water by trees & plants into the atmosphere.
7. Precipitation - any form of water that falls from a cloud.
8. Collection - water may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land.
9. Infiltration - movement of surface water into rock or soil through cracks and spaces.
10. Runoff - water that does not infiltrate flows over the land into rivers and lakes.
Runoff only occurs when rainfall exceeds the Earth’s ability to absorb it.
11. Landscape – a region on Earth’s surface in which various landforms are related by common
origin.
12. Topography – the shape of the landscape.
13. Relief – the change in elevation between the highest peaks and lowest valleys.
14. Know how to read Pages 2 & 3 of the ESRT!!
15. Mountains (highlands) – the greatest relief & made of metamorphic rocks.
16. Plateau (uplands) – medium relief, streams cut deep valleys, sedimentary rocks, Flat Tops &
Horizontal Layers. **Includes the Catskills**
17. Plains (lowlands) - least topographic relief (flat) & made of sedimentary rocks.
18. *Bedrock structure & elevation of the land are the best characteristics to distinguish one
landscape from another.
19. Landscapes in moist climates are generally rounded.
20. Landscapes in dry (arid) climates are characterized by sharp angles and steep slopes.
21. Drainage patterns are determined by the
way small streams, or tributaries, join to
form larger streams.
*mountain & hills = radial drainage pattern
22. Saturated – unable to hold or contain more; full.
23. Unsaturated – can hold more liquid; not full.
24. Permeable – ability of water to flow through a soil.
25. Impermeable – water can not flow through a soil (ex: pavement).
26. Groundwater - the water within the zone of saturation and moves through small openings.
*Groundwater moves more slowly when the pore spaces are smaller (ex: clay) and quicker
when the pore spaces are larger (ex: pebbles).
27. Water that infiltrates the ground becomes part of the groundwater supply.
28.
Increased Runoff/ Decreased Infiltration
Decreased Runoff/ Increased Infiltration
-Steep slope (gradient)
-Gentle slope (gradient)
-Saturated soil
-Unsaturated soil
-Frozen ground
-Unfrozen ground
-Impermeable soil
-Permeable soil
-Heavy rains
-Light rains
-Small sized particles (clay)
-Large sized particles (pebbles)
29. Porosity – how much open space there is in a rock.
* Porosity IS NOT affected by particle size.
* Mixed sized sediment has a decrease in porosity.
**Each beaker has an EQUAL volume of sediment & pore space.**
30. Permeability – The ability of water to flow through a soil - depends on soil composition.
**The smaller the pore spaces, the slower it takes to permeate (ex: clay or mixed sediment).
**The larger the pore spaces, the quicker it takes to permeate (ex: pebbles).
31. Capillarity – the ability of water to rise in small openings (ex: clay).
Review:
Greatest Porosity: A & B are EQUAL
Greatest Permeability: B
Greatest Capillarity: A
A
B
* Use ESRT Page 6 – Relationship of Transported Particle Size to Water Velocity for sizes of
sediment.
32. Zone of Aeration - pore space contains mostly air.
33. Zone of Saturation - pore space contains mostly water.
34. Water Table - the top of the zone of saturation.
35. Aquifer – permeable rock layers or sediments that transmit groundwater freely.
36. Springs - form when the water table intersects the ground surface.
37. Hot Springs - water is heated by cooling of igneous rock.
38. Geysers – a fountain in which water shoots up with great force at various intervals.
39. Well - a hole into the zone of saturation.
a) An artesian well occurs when groundwater rises on its own under pressure.
b) Pumping can cause a drawdown (lowering) of the water table.
c) Pumping can form a cone of depression in the water table.
40. Groundwater Contamination - Overuse & contamination threatens groundwater supplies in
some areas & land subsidence caused by its withdrawal (treating it as a nonrenewable
resource).
41. Caverns - a naturally formed underground chamber (formed in the zone of aeration).
42. Stalactites – hanging from ceiling.
43. Stalagmites – growing upward from the floor.
* Formed from calcite deposited as
dripping water evaporates.
**Calcite bubbles with acid!
44. Karst Topography - formed by dissolving rock at, or near, Earth's surface where areas lack
good surface drainage.
a) Sinkholes - surface depressions & can form when bedrock dissolves and caverns
collapse.
b) Caves