Water Vocabulary

Ground Water

ground water – water in the ground, stored between rock spaces.

aquifer – an underground rock formation that yields significant quantities of water that may be pumped to the surface for use by people, livestock or irrigation.  The main source of drinking water for most NM communities.

well – a hole dug or drilled into the ground for the purpose of pumping up water from the groundwater.  The pipe with a pump used to bring ground water to the surface.

water table – the name of the uppermost level of ground water.

Surface Water

surface water -- water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater and runoff.

flood--an overflow of water onto lands that are used or usable by humans and not normally covered by water. 

pollution – dirt or poison in the environment.  Dumping waste, oil, pesticides and sediment into the water causes this.

erosion--the process in which a material (e.g., river bank) is worn away by a stream of liquid (water) or air, often due to the presence of abrasive particles in the stream.

watershed – the land area from which snowmelt and rain drain into a stream channel, lake, reservoir or other body of water.  Also called a drainage basin.

Earth’s Water

fresh water --  found in streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and swamps.

Earth’s surface -- 71% covered in water.

Earth’s water-- 97% is salt water, 3% is fresh water, only 0.0003% is readily available as drinking water.

Water Cycle

evaporation – the conversion of water into a vapor, usually through the application of heat energy (the opposite condensation).

precipitation – water falling, in a liquid or solid state, from the atmosphere to Earth (e.g., rain, snow).

condensation – when water vapor becomes a liquid (the opposite of evaporation).

infiltration/percolation -- downward movement of water through the soil profile or other porous media.

transpiration – water absorbed by plants (usually through the roots) that is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant leaves.

Properties of Water

ice – the solid that is formed when water freezes.

H2O – the chemical abbreviation for water.

physical states of water – gas, solid and liquid.

hydrology – the scientific study of water on Earth’s surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and the atmosphere.

water in our bodies – approximate percentage of water in our bodies is 65% but can range from 50-70%.

Other

desert – a region that receives less than 10” of precipitation per year.

xeriscape – the use of low water use plants in landscape.  “Xeros” is Greek for “dry.”  Not “zeroscape.”