a
atmosphere
A
the layer of air that surrounds the Earth.
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b
c
cloud
a visible collection of water or ice particles suspended in the air, usually above the Earth's surface. Although fog is a type of cloud, it is often distinguished from clouds.
cycle
An event or process that repeats itself over time, or its representation in a graph. For example: water cycle, economic cycle, life cycle, orbital cycle, cyclic waves, radio signals at cycles per second.
d
desalination
The process of removing salt from seawater.
e
f
finite
Something that has limits and is measurable. For example: The amount in her bank account was finite. The opposite of infinite.
fog
A visible collection of water or ice particles suspended in the air, at the Earth's surface. Although fog is a type of cloud, it is often distinguished from clouds.
freshwater
Water that is not salty like seawater. Often refers collectively to water found on land - in rivers, ice, groundwater, etc. Water found in places other than the ocean can be considered freshwater and still contain many dissolved substances.
g
glacier
A mass of ice that does not totally disappear over the course of the year. Glaciers form when snowfall exceeds melting over the years. Glaciers are often called rivers of ice because the ice slowly flows downslope over time. Most glaciers occur at high elevations on mountaintops, or at low elevation in polar areas.
groundwater
Water that exists below the surface of the ground, generally between grains of sediment and in pores and fractures in rock. Ground water is an important source of water for people, particularly in semi-arid environments where other sources of freshwater are limited.
h
humidity
The amount of water vapor in the air. There are several common was to define humidity-
1) absolute values that define how many water molecules there are in a volume of air,
2) relative values that define how much water the air contains relative to how much it could hold.
Cold and warm air may have the same relative humidities, yet different absolute humidities.
See Weather basics
i
infiltration
The absorption of water into the ground.
infinite
Something that doesn't have limits and can't be measured. For example: The extent of the universe seems infinite. The opposite of finite.
j
there are no entries for this letter
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k
l
lake
A body of fresh or salt water of considerable size, surrounded by land.
m
mariculture
The farming of marine organisms, usually in nearshore environments circulating seawater, either natural or engineered. The term aquaculture is similar except that it refers to farming of any aquatic organisms whether they're dependent on fresh or salt water.
n
o
ocean
The body of salt water that cover nearly three-quarters of the surface of the Earth. The largest reservoir of water on the Earth. The Earth has three major oceans that are interconnected: the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
p
permafrost
Any rock or soil material that has remained below 32° F continuously for two or more years. The two -year minimum stipulation is meant to exclude from the definition the overlying ground surface layer which freezes every winter and thaws every summer (called the "active layer" or "seasonal frost").
q
there are no entries for this letter
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r
reservoir
1) A natural of artificial place where water is stored. Often, dams are constructed to create lakes which are reservoirs.
2) A term used to describe major storage locations along the Earth's water cycle. Major reservoirs include: the ocean, ice, atmosphere, groundwater, lakes rivers, and living things.
rivers
A stream of water that flows in a definite course or channel. The term commonly implies a natural stream of fairly large size - for example, the Mississippi River. There are many every day terms that imply flow of varying sizes - for example, rill, creek, brook, stream, river.
As we do here, Earth scientists often use the term stream to refer to all water flow in a definite course or channel, regardless of size. We use the terms river ad stream interchangeably. Stream flow takes place in a channel in contrast to sheet flow.
We use the term stream to refer to all flow in a channel regardless of whether it is natural or made by humans. Streams created by people include - previously natural rivers that are now controlled by structures, culverts, and gutters, among other things.
runoff
Water that flows on the surface of land, including all stream flow. Runoff also includes surface flow over surfaces made by people - in gutters and storm drains, and over pavement among others.
Runoff generated after a storm is currently a major concern because stormwater runoff picks up and carries pollutants wherever it travels - including all the way to the ocean. Until recently, stormwater runoff had been unregulated in contrast to sewer water.
s
seawater
The water in the oceans. Water with the composition of water in the oceans.
saltwater
Water that has the composition of seawater or water that contains a large amount of dissolved chemicals. Although it is not seawater, water in the Salton Sea is considered saltwater.
streams
A stream of water is a flow of water in a definite course or channel. As we do here, Earth scientists often use the term stream to refer to all water flow in a definite course or channel, regardless of size. We use the terms river ad stream interchangeably. Stream flow takes place in a channel in contrast to sheet flow.
We use the term stream to refer to all flow in a channel regardless of whether it is natural or made by humans. Streams created by people include - previously natural rivers that are now controlled by structures, culverts, and gutters, among other things.
swamp
In common language, a swamp refers to wet land that usually has abundant vegetation. Swamps are often associated with poorly oxygenated waters and swamp gases. Officially, swamps are a type of wetland. To learn more about wetlands ...
t
transient
Something that lasts only a short time or is intermittent.
u
there are no entries for this letter
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v
vapor
Materials that exist in the atmosphere in the form of gas. Often refers to water vapor.
w
water cycle
The movement of water through the Earth's environment. Major parts of the water cycle include: the oceans, ice, atmosphere, groundwater, lakes, rivers, and living things. Different processes transfer water from one part of the water cycle to another. These processes include: evaporation, precipitation, evapotranspiration, water and ice flow, and consumption. The water cycle is also called the hydrological cycle.
x
there are no entries for this letter
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y
there are no entries for this letter
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z
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