Water Cycle Vocabulary
Rusty Sturken
Duluth Middle School
Sixth Grade Earth Science
Water Cycle
• The continuous process by
which water moves from
Earth’s surface to the
atmosphere and back, passing
through the living and
nonliving parts of the
environment
Water Cycle
http://www.osovo.com/diagram/water_cycle.jpg
Water Vapor (Water Vapor)
• Water Vapor is the
invisible, gaseous form
of water.
Water Vapor (Water Vapor)
• Make sure you understand that fog and
clouds are NOT water vapor, they are
made of tiny droplets of condensed
water. WATER VAPOR IS INVISIBLE
Photos by Rusty Sturken
Groundwater
• Water that fills the cracks
and pores in underground
soil and rock layers
Groundwater
GROUNDWATER
http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/images/hydrocyc.gif
Evaporation
• The process by which
molecules at the surface of a
liquid, such as water, absorb
enough energy to change to
a gaseous state, such as
water vapor.
Evaporation
http://www.tapintoquality.com/facts/glossary/evaporation.jpg
Transpiration
• The process by which
plants release water vapor
through their leaves
Transpiration
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module01/images/transpiration.jpg
Condensation
• The process by which a
gas, such as water vapor,
changes to a liquid, such
as water
Condensation
http://www.dreamstime.com/blue-water-drops-condensation-thumb1809120.jpg
Precipitation
• Forms of water, such as
rain, snow, sleet or hail
that fall from clouds and
reach Earth’s surface
Precipitation
http://www.fondriest.com/fileshare/subpages/science_library/precipitation.jpg
Irrigation
• The process of supplying
water to areas of land to
make them suitable for
growing crops
Irrigation
http://www.marymount.fr/public/WaterDeficits/Irrigation_clip_image005.jpg
Photosynthesis
• The process by which
plants use water, plus
carbon dioxide and
energy from the sun, to
make food
Photosynthesis
http://grapevine.net.au/~grunwald/une/KLAs/science/irrigation-photosynthesis.gif
Watershed
• The land area that supplies
water to a river system
( think of “drainage basin”)
Watershed
http://www.recycleworks.org/images/watershed_800.jpg
Levee
• A long ridge formed by
deposits of sediments
alongside a river channel
Levee
http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/levees/press&siever13.13.png
Reservoir
• A natural or artificial lake
that stores water for
human use.
Reservoir
http://www.larryhotz.com/files/2009/05/reservoir2.gif
Eutrophication
• The process by which
nutrients in a lake build up
over time, causing an
increase in the growth of
algae
Eutrophication
http://www.lss-lab.bme.buaa.edu.cn/image/index%20of%20WWT_clip_image002.jpg
Pores
• Tiny openings in and
between particles of rock
and soil that may contain
air or water
Pores
http://knol.google.com/k/-/-/3ar81gcwyc4cv/xamdic/5031273188662be420eb.jpg
Permeable
• Characteristic of materials
such as sand and gravel that
allow water to pass easily
through them
Permeable
http://www.thomastrucking.com/images/Maryland%20Gravel.jpg
Water Table
• The top of the saturated
zone, or depth to the
groundwater in an aquifer
Water Table
http://www.groundwater.org/gi/images/groundwaterdiagram.jpg
Saturated Zone
http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/curriculum/unit4/images/saturated-zone.jpg
Saturated Zone
• A layer of permeable rock or
soil in which the cracks and
pores are completely filled
with water
Aquifer
• An underground layer of
rock or soil that holds
water
Aquifer
http://mtnwater.com/images/missoula_aquifer-450.gif
Spring
• A place where groundwater
bubbles or flows out of
cracks in the ground
Spring
http://www.advicesisters.net/uploaded_images/spring-713775.jpg
Recharge
• New water that enters an
aquifer from the surface
Recharge
http://geopanorama.rncan.gc.ca/ottawa/images/biggroundwater.jpg
Artesian Well
• A well in which water rises
because of pressure within
the aquifer
Artesian Well
http://geology.com/articles/bottled-water/artesian-well.gif