WATER Unit Part One Study Guide (water distribution, water cycle, and groundwater)

Chapter One and Chapter Two (section 5) Test Date: 11-2-16

You are expected to know the following big ideas as well as the vocabulary that follows each section below. Big Idea information is often assessed in the form of true/false, fill-in the blank, or multiple choice questions. Some of the vocabulary on the test will be used in context so be sure not to just study the definitions but make sure you could select the correct vocabulary word to complete each sentence.

Section One - BIG IDEAS Why is water important and how is it distributed?

  1. People use water for many purposes including household use, industry, agriculture, transportation, and recreation
  2. All living things need water to carry out their life processes
  3. About 97% of Earth’s water is salt water stored in the oceans. The remaining 3% is fresh water with over 2% frozen, and less than 1 percent (ground surface, and atmospheric) is usable fresh water.
  4. It is important to conserve water since the usable freshwater is limited at a certain point in time.

Section Three - BIG IDEAS What are the key components of the water cycle?

  1. In the water cycle, water evaporates (and transpirates) from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere. The water condenses to form clouds by clinging to dust, and then falls back to Earth as precipitation. The sun’s energy drives the water cycle.
  2. The water cycle renews (recharges) Earth’s supply of fresh water. In the world as a whole, the rates of evaporation and precipitation balance out each other.
  3. Cold air holds less water vapor than warm air.
  4. In order for evaporation to occur, air (a gas) and some heat must be present.

VOCABULARY

Water Cycle: The continuous process by which water moves through the living and nonliving parts of the environment; also known as the hydrologic cycle

Transpiration: The process by which plants release water vapor through their leaves

Precipitation: Water that falls to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

Condensation: The process by which a gas changes to a liquid; cooling occurs

Evaporation: The process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gas

Water Vapor: The invisible gaseous form of water

Runoff: Water that flows over the ground rather than into the ground

Collection: Areas of low depression where water collects or pools such as puddles, ponds and lakes

Groundwater: Water that fills the cracks and pores in underground soil and rock layers.

Section Five/Chapter Two - BIG IDEAS

How does water get into the ground and what factors affect it?

  1. As water soaks into the ground, it moves through the pores between particles of soil and rock. Some rocks may have fractures that can also store water in them. Water moves easily through permeable materials, but does not move easily through impermeable materials.
  2. People dig wells to obtain groundwater from aquifers. To supply water, a well must reach beneath the level of the water table. Most groundwater is stored in aquifers.
  3. Water pressure brings groundwater to the surface naturally in artesian wells, springs, and geysers. Groundwater can be pumped from an aquifer to the surface through the use of a man-made well.

4.  Water in an aquifer that is confined (trapped) between two impermeable layers is under pressure while water that is unconfined (not trapped) will need to be pumped to the Earth’s surface or seep onto the surface through cracks or holes in the Earth’s surface.

5.  If it is able, water will always try to find the path of least resistance.

VOCABULARY

pores – tiny openings in and between particles of rock and soil which may contain air or water

infiltration – the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. Infiltration rate is a measure of the rate at which soil is able to absorb rainfall and irrigation. It is measured in inches per hour or millimeters per hour. The rate decreases as the soil becomes saturated. Similar to percolation.

aquifer– an underground layer of rock or soil that holds water

percolation - the process of filtering or trickling through as in water seeps through the soil

permeable – characteristic of materials that allow water to easily pass through them

impermeable – characteristic of materials that does not allow water to pass through easily

water table: the top of the saturated zone

saturated zone – A layer of permeable rock or soil in which cracks and pores are totally filed with water

unsaturated zone – A layer of rocks and soil above the water table in which the pores contain air as well as some water

geyser- a type of hot spring in which the water is under pressure and periodically bursts into the air

artesian well - a well where water rises to the surface because of pressure in the aquifer

well: an opening dug into the ground that allows water to be collected and pumped up to the surface

spring- a place where water bubbles to the surface through cracks in the ground and rocks

groundwater - Water that fills the cracks and pores in underground soil and rock layers

recharge – new water that enters an aquifer form the surface. Rain is an example of recharge

discharge – water leaving an aquifer (can discharge, into a lake, spring, well, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Also review your notes, labs, and diagrams for additional information. You will be expected to identify parts of the water cycle, how groundwater is recharged and to analyze models regarding major concepts taught in the first part of this unit. It is important not to wait until the night before the test to study. A practice set is available on Quizlet. See online resources tab on teacher webpage. Do not rely solely on the sets at Quizlet to reinforce your learning. You must truly understand the big ideas and vocabulary so well that you will be able to recognize when it is being assessed. The vocabulary will be broken down into groups since there is so much of it, one part will be definitions and the other will require you to select the best vocabulary word for each context clue sentence.