Changes of State
The process by which water vapor becomes liquid water is called __________.
Condensation.
In the water cycle, the water moves through the geosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere and the _________.
About 97% of the water in the hydrosphere is _______. Only 3% is ________.
Salt water, fresh water.
All the water found on the surface of Earth is called ________. Water that fills cracks and spaces in soil and rock layers underground is called _______.
Surface water, ground water.
The total amount of dissolved salts in ocean water is called ________.
Salinity.
Water that falls to the Earth as rain, snow, hail or sleet is called ________.
Precipitation.
Water evaporates from soil in the ___________.
Geosphere.
Droplets of liquid water and ice crystals collect to form ___________.
Clouds.
The land area that supplies water to a river system is called a ______.
Watershed.
Flat areas of the ocean floor covered with thick layers of mud and silt are called _______.
Abyssal plains.
The process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change into a gas is called _______.
Evaporation.
Earth’s built in water recycling system is called the _________.
Water cycle.
The water cycle is driven by gravity and by energy from the _______.
Sun.
Watersheds are separated by a ridge of land called a _________.
Divide.
A long, deep valley on the ocean floor is called a ________.
Trench.
Plants release water vapor through their leaves in a process called __________.
Transpiration.
Animals release water vapor into the atmosphere when they _______.
Breathe.
Ponds and lakes contain mostly ___________.
Still water.
The upper layer of the saturated zone is called a _______.
Water table.
Long chains of mountains on the ocean floor are called ________.
Mid ocean ridges.
Once precipitation falls, it collects in rivers, lakes and ______.
Streams.
Much of Earth’s fresh water is frozen into thickened ice masses called _______.
Glaciers.
A hole sunk into the earth to reach a supply a water is called _______.
A well.
A river and all of the tributaries that flow into make up a _________.
River system.
A river and all of the tributaries that flow into it make up __________.
A river system.
The underground layer that contains air was well as water is called _____.
Unsaturated zone.
Water that flows over Earth’s surface into streams and lakes is called _________.
Runoff.
Layers of rock that hold water underground are called _________.
Aquifers.