Water and enviro exam 2 TERMS
Û Critical Zone & Soils
Near-surface zone from treetops to groundwater where rock, air, water, and
Critical Zone
interact.
Pedogenesis Soil formation via weathering and organic inputs.
Soil Horizons O (organic), A (topsoil), E (leached), B (subsoil), C (parent), R (bedrock).
Factors influencing soil profile Climate, organisms, relief, parent material, time.
Fine-textured soils High capillary pressure and retention, low permeability.
Coarse-textured soils Low retention, high permeability, fast drainage.
Loam Balanced texture (~40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay).
Porosity Percent of pore space in a soil.
Permeability Ability of soil to transmit water.
Capillary Pressure Water's attraction into small pores.
Field Capacity Water remaining after gravity drainage stops.
Wilting Point Moisture level where plants can no longer extract water.
Plant-Available Water Water between field capacity and wilting point.
, Water and enviro exam 2 TERMS
Saturation Thresholds Hygroscopic < Wilting Point < Field Capacity < Saturation.
Ò Rivers & Hyporheic
Gaining Stream Receives groundwater baseflow.
Losing Stream Loses water to groundwater.
Disconnected Stream Perched above water table.
Bank Storage Floodwater temporarily stored in riverbanks, released later.
Headwaters Zone Steep, erosional, often braided.
Transfer Zone Meandering, builds floodplains via erosion/deposition.
Lowland Zone Depositional, oxbow lakes form from meander cutoffs.
Hyporheic Zone Subsurface mixing of surface and groundwater; biogeochemical hotspot.
Denitrification Converts nitrate (NO₃⁻) to nitrogen gas (N₂).
Metal Oxidation Occurs in hyporheic zone (Fe/Mn cycling).
Wetlands
Wetland Transitional area with hydric soils and hydrophytic plants.
Cowardin Classification Based on setting and salinity (marine, estuarine, riverine, lacustrine, palustri
Û Critical Zone & Soils
Near-surface zone from treetops to groundwater where rock, air, water, and
Critical Zone
interact.
Pedogenesis Soil formation via weathering and organic inputs.
Soil Horizons O (organic), A (topsoil), E (leached), B (subsoil), C (parent), R (bedrock).
Factors influencing soil profile Climate, organisms, relief, parent material, time.
Fine-textured soils High capillary pressure and retention, low permeability.
Coarse-textured soils Low retention, high permeability, fast drainage.
Loam Balanced texture (~40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay).
Porosity Percent of pore space in a soil.
Permeability Ability of soil to transmit water.
Capillary Pressure Water's attraction into small pores.
Field Capacity Water remaining after gravity drainage stops.
Wilting Point Moisture level where plants can no longer extract water.
Plant-Available Water Water between field capacity and wilting point.
, Water and enviro exam 2 TERMS
Saturation Thresholds Hygroscopic < Wilting Point < Field Capacity < Saturation.
Ò Rivers & Hyporheic
Gaining Stream Receives groundwater baseflow.
Losing Stream Loses water to groundwater.
Disconnected Stream Perched above water table.
Bank Storage Floodwater temporarily stored in riverbanks, released later.
Headwaters Zone Steep, erosional, often braided.
Transfer Zone Meandering, builds floodplains via erosion/deposition.
Lowland Zone Depositional, oxbow lakes form from meander cutoffs.
Hyporheic Zone Subsurface mixing of surface and groundwater; biogeochemical hotspot.
Denitrification Converts nitrate (NO₃⁻) to nitrogen gas (N₂).
Metal Oxidation Occurs in hyporheic zone (Fe/Mn cycling).
Wetlands
Wetland Transitional area with hydric soils and hydrophytic plants.
Cowardin Classification Based on setting and salinity (marine, estuarine, riverine, lacustrine, palustri
