Chapter 6: Running Water and Groundwater

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Water Cycle
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Terms in this set (29)
Water Cycle
unending circulation of Earth's water supply
Image: Water Cycle
Infiltration
the movement of surface water into rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces
Image: Infiltration
Stream Channel
the course the water in a stream follows
Image: Stream Channel
Gradient
the slope or steepness of a stream channel
Image: Gradient
Discharge
in a stream, the volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time
Image: Discharge
Tributary
a stream that empties into another stream
Image: Tributary
Meander
a looplike bend in the course of a stream
Image: Meander
Bed Load
sediment that is carried by a stream along the bottom of its channel
Image: Bed Load
Capacity
the total amount of sediment a stream is able to transport
Image: Capacity
Delta
an accumulation of sediment formed where a stream enters a lake or an ocean
Image: Delta
Natural Leveean elevated landform that parallels a stream and acts to confine its waters, except during floodstageFlood Plainthe flat, low-lying portion of a stream valley subject to periodic floodingFloodoccurs when the discharge of a stream becomes so great that it exceeds the carrying capacity of its channel and overflows its banksDrainage Basinthe land area that contributes water to a streamDividean imaginary line that separates the drainage of two streams; often found along a ridgePorositythe volume of open spaces in rock or soilPermeabilitya measure of a material's ability to transmit fluidsAquiferrock or soil through which groundwater moves easilyZone of Saturationzone where all open spaces in sediment and rock are completely filled with waterGround Waterwater underground in the zone of saturationWater Tablethe upper level of the saturated zone of groundwaterSpringa well in which the water naturally rises above the level of the water tableGeysera hot spring or fountain that ejects water at various intervalsWellan opening bored into the zone of saturationArtesian Wella flow of groundwater that emerges naturally at the ground surfaceCaverna naturally formed underground chamber or series of chambers most commonly produced by solution activity in limestoneTravertinea form of limestone that is deposited by hot springs or as a cave depositKarst Topographyan area that has a land surface or topography with numerous depressions called sinkholesSinkholea depression produced in a region where soluble rock has been removed by groundwater

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