Vocabulary
What term refers to all the water found on, under, and above Earth’s surface?
Hydrosphere
What percentage of Earth’s water is freshwater?
2.5%
What is the main source of drinking water for many towns and cities?
Groundwater
What is the name of the basin that carries water to the Pamlico Sound?
Tar-Pamlico River Basin
What increases when population and construction rise?
Water pollution
What do we call water stored underground in soil and rocks?
Groundwater
What type of water makes up 96.5% of Earth’s total water?
Saltwater
Through what type of rock layer does groundwater move?
Permeable rock
How many major river basins are there in North Carolina?
17
What can cause flooding and reduced groundwater recharge?
Impermeable surfaces
What term describes layers of rock and soil that store groundwater?
Aquifer
What covers about 71% of Earth’s surface?
Oceans
What causes groundwater to slowly move through the Earth?
Gravity
Where does water in a river basin eventually flow?
Ocean
What happens to ecosystems when river basins are polluted?
Biodiversity decreases
What is the area of land where all water drains into a main river called?
River basin
Where is most freshwater stored — in glaciers, lakes, or rivers?
Glaciers
What is the process when rainwater soaks into the soil?
Infiltration
What affects water quality in a river basin when humans build over land?
Runoff / Pollution
What can communities do to protect river basins?
Stewardship / Conservation
What property describes how easily water passes through rock or soil?
Permeability
Which source holds the largest portion of surface freshwater?
Lakes
What type of soil has high permeability — sand or clay?
Sand
What type of factor (biotic or abiotic) is rainfall in a river basin?
Abiotic
What is one effect of burning fossil fuels on the hydrosphere?
Acid rain / Climate change