Holt Environmental Science: Chapter 11-Water Cycle
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surface water
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fresh water on Earth's land surface. is found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands
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river system
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As streams and rivers move across the land, they form a flowing network of water
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watershed
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The area of land that is drained by a river is known
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groundwater
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Water stored beneath the Earth's surface in sediment and rock formations
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aquifer
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An underground formation that contains groundwater
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porosity
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the amount of space between the particles that make up a rock
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permeability
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The ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it
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recharge zone
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The area of the Earth's surface where water percolates down into the aquifer
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potable
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safe to drink
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pathogens
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organisms that cause illness or disease
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irrigation
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a method of providing plants with water from sources other than direct precipitation
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dam
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structure built across a river to control the river's flow
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reservoir
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When a river is dammed, an artificial lake, or _____ is formed behind the dam
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desalination
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process of removing salt from salt water
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water pollution
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the introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and adversely affect the organisms that depend on the water.
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point pollution
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pollution discharged from a single source
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nonpoint pollution
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comes from many different sources that are often difficult to identify
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waste water
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water that contains waste from homes or industry
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artificial eutrophication
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The natural process of __ is accelerated when inorganic plant nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, enter the water from sewage and fertilizer runoff
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thermal pollution
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_____ can occur when power plants and other industries use water in their cooling systems and then discharge the warm water into a lake or river.
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biomagnification
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accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain
