Water Cycle
This process occurs when water changes from a liquid to a gas, often from the surface of oceans, lakes, and rivers.
What is evaporation?
The variety of living organisms, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, in a given ecosystem is called:
What is biodiversity?
This property of water makes it a great solvent, allowing it to dissolve many substances.
What is polarity?
This type of pollution occurs when harmful substances, like chemicals and waste, enter and contaminate water bodies.
What is water pollution?
This is the process by which water vapor cools and condenses into liquid droplets to form clouds.
What is condensation?
A group of organisms interacting with each other and their environment in a particular area is called:
What is an ecosystem?
Clue: Water’s ability to absorb and release large amounts of heat without a drastic temperature change is called:
What is high specific heat?
This type of pollution involves the presence of tiny plastic particles in the water, which can harm marine life.
What is plastic pollution?
This term describes water returning to the Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
What is precipitation?
These organisms, like plants or algae, produce their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of most food chains.
What are producers?
Water’s tendency to stick to other surfaces, such as glass or plant leaves, is known as:
What is adhesion?
This occurs when excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, lead to algae blooms that reduce oxygen levels in the water.
What is eutrophication?
The flow of water across the land and into bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans is known as:
What is runoff?
These non-living components, like temperature, oxygen levels, and water quality, are known as this in an aquatic ecosystem.
What are abiotic factors?
The property of water that causes it to stick to itself, creating surface tension, is called:
What is cohesion?
In the DC area, this water body benefits from the Clean Water Act’s protections, addressing pollution from stormwater runoff and wastewater treatment plants.
What is Anacostia River?
These types of surfaces affect how water moves through the landscape—impervious surfaces do not allow water to pass through, while pervious surfaces do.
What are impervious and pervious surfaces?
This process, which involves the breakdown of dead organic material into simpler substances, is carried out by these organisms in aquatic ecosystems.
What are decomposers (e.g., bacteria, fungi)?
Water molecules form this type of bond, which is responsible for many of water's unique properties, such as surface tension and high boiling point
What are hydrogen bonds?
This landmark piece of U.S. legislation was passed in 1972 to regulate pollutants discharged into waterways and set water quality standards.
What is the Clean Water Act?