Hydrologic Cycle and Related Terms

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Hydrologic Cycle

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The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

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Porosity

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The percentage of pore space present in Earth material.

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Zone of Saturation

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The area in an aquifer, below the water table, in which relatively all pores and fractures are saturated with water.

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Capillarity

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The ability of water to be drawn upward as a result of surface tension

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Watershed

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All land area whose water drains into a stream system, also referred to a drainage basin.

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Gradient

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Incline; a stream's slope.

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Mouth

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The part of a river where it flows into another river, a lake, a reservoir, a sea, or an ocean.

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Aquifer Depletion

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Declining water levels within the aquifer's structure at a rate faster than it can be replenished.

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Wetland

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Land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land either permanently or seasonally.

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Groundwater

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Water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock.