Streams
What is the origin of a stream?
It's source
Where can lakes form?
a volcanic crater, a meteor's crater, a sinkhole, a manmade hole, when caves collapse
What is a lock or ship lift
A way for ships to pass by dams on rivers such as the Three Gorges Dam in China
What are permeable and impermeable rocks?
permeable - Rocks that contain many cracks or open spaces and allow water to pass through.
impermeable - Rocks that may or may not contain cracks or spaces but do not allow water to pass through.
What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?
stalactite - An icicle-shaped formation of calcium carbonate hanging from a cave ceiling.
stalagmite - projections growing out of cave floors, usually directly below a stalactite
It takes hundreds or thousands of years to grow to a large size
What is a stream system?
A stream and all its tributaries
What happens to lakes and ponds over time?
They shrink
What is limnology?
The study of earth's surface waters
What is an aquifer?
A layer of rock that directs groundwater from place to place
What does the water cycle do besides recycling water?
It also purifies water
What is a drainage basin?
The region from which water empties into a stream and its tributaries
What impacts the energy of a stream?
Its gradient
What are salt flats?
Large, salty lakes that have evaporated
What is potable water?
Water that is safe for drinking and cooking
What is groundwater and is it pure?
It is water located beneath the earth's surface and it is not pure
What is the main purpose of a levee?
To control flooding
What is the lowest point to which a stream flows?
mouth or base level
Are floodplains good areas for farming?
Yes, because the regular floods create broad, flat, fertile areas of topsoil deposits
What makes water "hard?"
lots of dissolved minerals - it can cause a bathtub ring, clogged pipes, and stained clothes
What is a cave?
A naturally occurring open space underground or inside a mass of earth
Where is the majority of earth's usable fresh water found?
lakes and ponds
What is a divide?
A ridge that separates one drainage basin from another
What is a spring?
A water supply that flows by gravity onto the ground surface from a hillside
What is chemical polution?
pollution caused by chemicals such as laundry soap and household cleaners that drains into the water supply
How do you know if a layer of rock is permeable?
If water is able to flow through it, it is permeable.