The Water Cycle
What process changes water vapor into liquid?
Condensation
What is water that flows on Earth's surface called?
Runoff
What do we call a layer of rock that stores water?
Aquifer
What kind of water has very little salt?
Freshwater
What do we call land covered by water part of the year?
Wetland
What is the main energy source for the water cycle?
The Sun
What do we call a river that flows into another river?
Tributary
What is the top of the zone of saturation called?
Which zone of a lake has the most sunlight?
Littoral zone
Which wetland has trees and woody plants?
Swamp
What process moves water into the ground?
Infiltration
What is the lowest level a stream can erode to?
Base Level
Which materials let water pass through easily?
Sand and gravel
Which zone of a lake is deep and dark?
Profundal Zone
Which wetland has grasses and soft plants?
Marsh
What are the three main steps of the water cycle?
Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation
What is the flat area next to a river that floods called?
Floodplain
What causes a sinkhole to form?
Dissolving limestone or cave collapse
What kind of freshwater ecosystem has flowing water?
River or Stream
Why are wetlands called 'the kidneys of the environment'?
They clean and filter water
What is the process of water leaving plant leaves called?
Transpiration
What forms when a river enters a lake or ocean?
Delta
What is hard water caused by?
Too much calcium or magnesium
What do wetlands, lakes, and rivers all connect to?
The water cycle
What two things do wetlands help prevent?
Floods and Erosion