Earth Science
Water and Climate
Topic 8
Vocabulary Flashcards
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Print pages back to back
Cut them out.
Match the term with the
correct definition
Turn them over. If the shapes match you
have the correct answers.
Water Cycle
(AKA: Hydrologic Cycle)
A model used to illustrate the
movement and the phase changes
of water at and near Earth’s
surface
http://courseweb.unt.edu/rhondac/spring2006/webpages/Watercyclegraphic1.gif
Water Retention
Precipitation can be stored or
retained on the land surface
as ice or snow (also on leaves
of trees and other plants)
http://www.strattonvt.us/snow%20melt.jpg
Infiltrate (seep)
http://hercules.gcsu.edu/~sdatta/home/teaching/hydro/slides/zones_subs_water.gif
Runoff
http://www.actewagl.org/education/_lib/images/Water/Runoff.jpg
Precipitation can sink into the
upper parts of Earth’s lithosphere
under the influence of gravity. It
flows into the water beneath the
Earth’s surface called subsurface
water
Sub = Under
Precipitation that flows over
the Earth’s surface (1/3 of
precipitation falling on land
returns to the water cycle this
way)
Water Table
The interface (or line) between the
zone of saturation and the zone of
aeration
http://earthsci.org/education/teacher/basicgeol/hydrolo/groundwater-gradient.jpg
Ground Water
Subsurface water below the
water table
http://earthsci.org/education/teacher/basicgeol/hydrolo/groundwater-gradient.jpg
Porosity
The percentage of open space
(pores and cracks) in a material
compared to its total volume
http://www.belmont.sd62.bc.ca/teacher/geology12/photos/erosion-water/porosity-low-high.jpg
Sorted
When particles in a material
are about the same size
http://earthsci.org/education/teacher/basicgeol/sed/sorting.gif
Permeability
The ability of a material to allow
fluids such as water to pass
through it
http://amiadini.com/newsletters/images/envEnl-143_clip_image006.jpg
Unsorted
When particles in a material
are of mixed sizes
(not all the same)
http://earthsci.org/education/teacher/basicgeol/sed/sorting.gif
Capillarity
The attractive force between water
molecules and the surrounding
Earth materials, during
infiltration, that stops water from
moving downward
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/capillarity.aspx
Stream Discharge
http:images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.trincoll.edu/~jgourley/GEOS%2520112%
2520Stream%2520Discharge_files/s_channel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.trincoll.edu/
~jgourley/GEOS%2520112%2520Stream%
2520Discharge.htm&usg=__pBFvMCjVZlJbZMdM3rXwlIOg_-
The volume of water flowing
past a certain spot in a stream
in a specific amount of time
(cubic meters/second, or
Liters/minute)