| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Aquifer | A rock or soil layer capable of storing, transmitting and yielding water to wells. |
| Evaporation | The process by which water is changed from a liquid or solid into vapor. |
| Groundwater | Water beneath the surface of the ground in a saturated zone. |
| Saturated zone | The part of a water-bearing layer of rock or soil in which all spaces, large or small, are filled with water. |
| Glacial Drift | Sediment transported or deposited by glaciers or the water melting from a glacier. |
| Hydrology | The science encompassing the behavior of water as it occurs in the atmosphere, on the land surface and underground. |
| Geology | The science dealing with the origin, history, materials and structure of the earth, together with the forces and processes operating to produce change within and on the earth. |
| Baseflow | That part of stream discharge from groundwater seeping into the stream. |
| Impermeable | Having a texture that does not permit water to move through quickly. |
| Recharge area | An area in which water infiltrates and moves downward into the saturated zone of an aquifer. |
| Watershed | The land area from which surface runoff drains into a stream system. |
| Infiltration | The movement of water into and through a soil. |
| Hydrologic, or water, cycle | The complete cycle through which water passes from the atmosphere to the earth and back to the atmosphere. |
| freshwater, freshwater- | water that contains less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids; generally, more than 500 mg/L of dissolved solids is undesirable for drinking and many industrial uses. |
| Discharge | the volume of water that passes a given location within a given period of time. Usually expressed in cubic feet per second. |
| Transpiration | The process by which plants give off water vapor through their leaves. |
| Permeability | the ability of a material to allow the passage of a liquid, such as water through rocks. Permeable materials, such as gravel and sand, allow water to move quickly through them, whereas unpermeable material, such as clay, don't allow water to flow freely. |
| Streamflow | the water discharge that occurs in a natural channel. A more general term than runoff, streamflow may be applied to discharge whether or not it is affected by diversion or regulation. |
| Aquifer | a geologic formation(s) that is water bearing. A geological formation or structure that stores and/or transmits water, such as to wells and springs. Use of the term is usually restricted to those water-bearing formations capable of yielding water in sufficient quantity to constitute a usable supply for people's uses. |
| Stream | a general term for a body of flowing water; natural water course containing water at least part of the year. In hydrology, it is generally applied to the water flowing in a natural channel as distinct from a canal. |
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