| A | B |
|---|
| water cycle | continuous movement of water between earth's surface, below the surface and atmosphere |
| precipitation | all the forms water can take when it leaves the clouds and returns to earth's surface |
| condensation | cooling process in which water vapor changes phase to liquid droplets |
| evaporation | heating process in which liquid water changes to water vapor |
| runoff | water that is not able to soak into the ground and moves along earth's surface |
| groundwater | water that is located below earth's surface |
| zone of saturation | area where water has filled the spaces between soil particles |
| zone of aeration | area where air fills the spaces between soil particles |
| water table | upper level limit of the zone of saturation |
| porosity | measure of the ability of soil type to hold water |
| permeable | able to be filled with a substance,eg. water,air |
| impermeable | water does not flow through it |
| cavern | place where underground layers of limestone have been dissolved by carbonic acid |
| geyser | opening in the ground where superheated water under great pressure is forced to the surface |
| watershed | all of the surrounding land area in which the runoff feeds the streams of a drainage sysem |
| tributary | small stream that contributes water to form a river |
| drainage system | the pattern that forms streams flow into larger streams that flow into rivers |
| aquifer | layer of of permeable rock or sediment containing groundwater |
