earths water
glacier
huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly overland formed in areas where more snowfalls each year that melts
unsaturated zone
layer of rock and soil above the water table that contain air as well as water, not able to be saturated
aquifer
layer of rock or sediment that holds water and can range in size from a small pond of an area of several states
well
man-made hole drilled to the water table in order to obtain ground water from an aquifer
polar molecule
meaning the positive hydrogen end of one water molecule attached the negative oxygen ends of another
thermohaline
means temperature & salinity
salinity
measure of the mass of dissolved solids in a mass of water. / top 500 m of water is saltier on warmer water than polar water since its evaporates faster leaving behind salt at surface
surface tension
molecules on surface of water cause a tightness, almost giving water a ''skin''.
Coriolis effect
movement of wind and water to the right or left that is caused by earths rotation
upwelling
movement of: cold water of the surface to replace warmer water and bring tiny organisms, minerals and other nutrients from deep ocean layers keeping the ocean ecosystem in balance
density
ocean water is layered since cold water is denser than warm water and saltwater is denser than fresh water
climate
pattern of temperature and precipitation typical of an area over a long period of time
transpiration
plants release water to air through leaves
deep zone
plants that photosynthesis are not found here because their is NO sunlight; many organisms produce light using chemicals in a process called biolumines cence
condensation
process of gas changing into a liquid/ clouds form as water vapor cools
evaporation
process of liquid changing to gas at surface/ takes place over the ocean
melting
process of solid changing to a liquid
middle zone
receives very little sunlight and of it only the blue-green wavelength
tributaries
small streams
natural spring
spring -place where ground water bubbles or flows out of crack sin the rock
water table
top of saturated water zone
geyser
type of hot spring which begins to rise through narrow passages being forced out by heated gases and steam from below
precipitation
water droplets in clouds become heavy and fall back to earth
seawater
water from a sea or ocean that has an average salinity of 35ppt (part per thousand) or one Kg of ocean contains 35g of salt
universal solvent
water is known as the universal solvent because many substances dissolves it in.
groundwater
water that fills the spaces in soil and rock layers
artesian well
well, which water rises because of pressure within an a aquifer
surface currents
wind -driven currents which affect water to a depth of several hundred meters and can move as fast as 100km/day
river system
a river and all it's tributaries, or small streams together with the watershed, the land area that supplies water to the system
capillary action
allows water to move through materials with pores or narrow spaces (ex: water traveling up stem to leaves
great ocean conveyor belt
another large system of ocean currents that affect weather and climate. it's a global ''belt'' of surface and density currents that distribute thermal energy around earth
wetlands
area of land that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year. three common types are marshes, swamps, and bogs
saturated zone
area of permeable rock or soil that is totally filled or saturated with water
surface zone
area of shallow sea water that receives the most sunlight; organisms that preforms photosynthesis are located here
h2o
chemical formula used to represent water's unique structure which is made of two hydrogen (H) atoms bonded with one oxygen (O) atom to form a water molecule
water cycle
continuous process by which water moves through the living and nonliving parts of the enviroment
deep currents
currents caused by temperature and density differences
gyres
earth's oceans contain large, looped systems of surface currents called...
ponds and lakes
form when water collects in hollows and low-lying areas of land
undergroundwater
fresh water source from precipitation that soaks into the ground between particles of soil and space in layers of rock.