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Chapter 10 (Science)

Terms in this set (17)

potable
safe to drink; drinkable (free of harmful microorganisms)
salinity
how much salt is dissolved in water
freshwater
type of water with less than one percent of dissolved salts
saltwater
type of water with a concentration of dissolved salts averaging three and a half percent
surface water
water found in oceans ("the planet's water reservoirs"), rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, and wetlands which are kept full by precipitation
groundwater
underground water
groundwater zone
the area where water fills all the air spaces in the soil and in the tiny cracks in the rock
water table
upper surface of the groundwater zone
aquifer
underground freshwater reservoir (water collects naturally underground in rocks and sand, forming this reservoir)
watershed
area of land where all the water eventually drains into one main water body, such as a stream, river, wetland, lake, or ocean
natural divides
high points in land, like mountains, which are boundaries that direct where water flows
What percent of Earth's freshwater is in the Great Lakes?
20% of Earth's freshwater is in the Great Lakes.
What percent of Earth's water is freshwater?
3% of Earth's water is freshwater.
What percent of Earth's water is saltwater?
97% of Earth's water is saltwater.
The three forms of freshwater are
liquid (surface water and groundwater), solid (mountain glaciers and ice sheets), and gas (water vapour).
The largest natural divide in North America is called the
Continental (or Great) Divide.
water cycle steps
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, absorption (infiltration), runoff
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