Water and Environmental Concepts

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dependence

Back

something needs it to survive or function properly

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groundwater

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water that is found underground, filling in spaces between rocks, dirt, and sand

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permeability

Back

the ability of a substance to allow liquids or gases to pass through it

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pollution

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when the environment is made dirty and unhealthy by substances or energy

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porosity

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the percentage of empty space in a material. It's calculated by dividing the volume of the empty space by the total volume of the material.

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runoff

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the movement of water that falls as rain or snow and flows over the ground instead of soaking into the soil.

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surface water

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any water that is above ground and open to the atmosphere. It includes rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and oceans

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watershed

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an area of land where all the rainwater and snowmelt from that area flows downhill and eventually ends up in the same place

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water table

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the boundary between the ground's unsaturated and saturated zones. It's the uppermost surface of the underground water, or groundwater.