Water Distribution, Watersheds, Groundwater Vocabulary Exam Questions and Answers(Rated A)

Impermeable - ANSWER-Does not allow water to flow through Permeable - ANSWER-Having pores or openings that allow water or other liquids to flow through them Aquifer - ANSWER-An underground layer of rock or soil that holds water Artesian Well - ANSWER-An underground water source in which water rises because of the pressure from the weight of the rocks and soil above the aquifer Glacier - ANSWER-A large mass of ice moving over land Reservoir - ANSWER-A lake that stores water for human use Drainage Basin - ANSWER-A region of land drained by a river and it's tributaries, streams, groundwater; Wetland - ANSWER-A land area that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year (marsh, bog, swamp) Freshwater - ANSWER-Water we use on Earth for cooking, drinking, etc.; water that does not contain salt Salt water - ANSWER-Water that can not be immediately used by humans; found in oceans, also called sea water Desalination - ANSWER-The removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming Transpiration - ANSWER-Loss (evaporation) of water from a plant through its leaves Surface water - ANSWER-Water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater, and runoff. Water table - ANSWER-An imaginary line where the saturated and unsaturated water zones meet. Unsaturated zone - ANSWER-A layer of rocks and soil above the water table in which the pores contain air as well as water Saturated zone - ANSWER-The area of permeable rock or soil in which the cracks and pores are totally filled with water. Percolation - ANSWER-The flow of water through soil & porous or fractured rock Tributary - ANSWER-A small stream, creek, or river that flows into a larger river Meander - ANSWER-to twist or turn, a curve in a stream or river Floodplain - ANSWER-The area subject to flooding due to low lying land areas Divide - ANSWER-a mountain ridge of land that separates one watershed from another Topography - ANSWER-A description of surface features of land, usually describes the elevation of land