Water Quality & Prep
This term describes water that is safe for humans to drink.
What is potable water?
Ocean tides are daily changes in water levels primarily caused by the gravitational pull of this celestial body.
What is the moon?
This is the geological term for moving water picking up sand, dirt, and minerals (sediments) as it flows along surfaces.
What is erosion?
Gills on a fish or the ability of a plant to survive in darkness are examples of this—a physical or behavioral characteristic that increases a species' chance of survival.
What is an adaptation?
Brushing your teeth, washing dishes, and taking a shower are all examples of this type of water use.
What is direct water use?
Of all the water on Earth, this is the percentage that is freshwater.
What is 3%?
This is the term for the average weather patterns measured over a long period of time for a specific region.
What is climate?
These fan-shaped landforms are found near the mouth of a river where the water slows down and drops its solid material.
What is a delta?
This is the unique name given to a fragile, brackish water ecosystem where freshwater and saltwater meet.
What is an estuary?
Globally, about 73% of human water consumption is dedicated to this major industry.
What is agriculture?
This is the name given to water that contains high concentrations of the minerals calcium and magnesium.
What is hard water?
This is the primary force responsible for causing the majority of everyday waves across the ocean's surface.
What is the wind?
This is the name given to an entire area of land that drains all of its streams and runoff into one main lake or river.
What is a watershed?
Organisms living in this ocean shoreline zone must adapt to survive dehydration during low tide and resist the crashing impact of waves.
What is an intertidal zone?
The introduction of zebra mussels from Europe into North America is an example of this type of population change.
What is a long term change?
This fresh-water producing process operates by forcing salt water through a filter with holes too small for the salts to pass through.
What is reverse osmosis?
On any given day, an ocean coastline will typically experience this total number of high tides.
What is two?
These are long, winding ridges of gravel and sand left behind by streams of meltwater flowing underneath a retreating glacier.
What are eskers?
In a lake or ocean, this deep zone has no light and no plants, meaning organisms must rely on organic material sinking down from above for food.
What is the lower zone?
Mosquito populations booming in the spring and dropping in the winter is an example of this type of predictable population change.
What is a seasonal change?
This dangerous type of bacteria is often tested for in drinking water because its presence indicates organic contamination that can cause severe sickness.
What is E. coli?
At night, coastal areas stay warmer than inland areas because the ocean slowly releases heat into the air, a phenomenon driven by this property of water.
What is high heat capacity?
In North America, the Rocky Mountains act as this major geographical feature, which determines the direction that a watershed drains.
What is the Continental Divide?
This is the name of the deep-water ocean zone that exists past the continental shelf, where animals must adapt to navigate and hunt in complete darkness.
What is the oceanic zone?
Runoff from fertilizers or sewage can spark these rapid population explosions of phytoplankton, which block sunlight and deplete dissolved oxygen, devastating the aquatic ecosystem.
What are algal blooms?