Water Distribution and Water Cycle Vocabulary

Front

What does it mean if something is permeable?

Back

It allows water to pass through.

Front

What is accumulation in the context of water?

Back

When water is collected in one area, such as oceans, seas, lakes, and ponds.

Front

What is an aquifer?

Back

A layer of permeable rock beneath the surface that holds water and allows it to flow through.

Front

What is evaporation?

Back

The process of water turning into vapor and rising into the atmosphere.

Front

What is relative humidity?

Back

A measure of how much water vapor is in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold at that temperature.

Front

What is precipitation?

Back

Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Front

What is runoff?

Back

Water that flows over the ground surface and returns to bodies of water after precipitation.

Front

What is infiltration?

Back

The process by which water soaks into the soil from the ground surface.

Front

What is groundwater?

Back

Water that is found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock.

Front

What is salinity?

Back

The concentration of salts in water, often measured in parts per thousand.