Water Cycle Wonders
The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas, rising into the atmosphere.
What is evaporation?
The largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth is found in this form.
What is ice/glaciers?
These powerful waves caused by underwater earthquakes can cause major coastal damage.
What are tsunamis?
Excessive nutrient runoff causes this harmful water condition leading to fish kills.
What is eutrophication?
Farmers can prevent soil erosion and protect water supplies by using this planting method.
What is contour plowing?
The stage of the water cycle where water vapor cools and forms clouds.
What is condensation?
A natural underground water storage area is known as this.
What is an aquifer?
Ocean currents like the Gulf Stream are driven primarily by this process.
What is convection?
The removal of water faster than it can be replenished is known as this.
What is over-extraction or overuse?
Cities use these facilities to treat wastewater before releasing it into water bodies.
What are wastewater treatment plants?
This term describes water falling to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
What is precipitation?
This term describes the boundary between the saturated and unsaturated zones in the ground.
What is the water table?
This zone of the ocean receives the most sunlight and supports most marine life.
What is the epipelagic or photic zone?
Burning fossil fuels leads to this, causing oceans to absorb more carbon dioxide.
What is ocean acidification?
Planting trees along riverbanks to reduce erosion is an example of this conservation practice.
What is riparian buffer planting?
The movement of water through the ground after precipitation is called this.
What is infiltration?
The process of removing salt from seawater to create freshwater is called this.
What is desalination?
This effect causes ocean currents to curve due to Earth's rotation.
What is the Coriolis effect?
A method of water pollution where harmful chemicals enter water supplies from agricultural fields.
What is agricultural runoff?
This international agreement aims to reduce marine pollution caused by shipping and dumping.
What is the MARPOL Convention?
Water returning to the atmosphere from plants is known as this process.
What is transpiration?
These ecosystems, such as marshes and swamps, naturally filter pollutants from water.
What are wetlands?
These nutrient-rich oceanic regions result from upwelling, supporting vast marine ecosystems.
What are upwelling zones?
The process of destroying coastal habitats due to urban expansion is called this.
What is coastal development?
A community action to clean up beaches and reduce marine litter is commonly known as this.
What is a beach cleanup or coastal cleanup?