Earth’s Fresh Water VocabularyChapter 8, Lesson 6

desalinationwater cycleevaporation

condensationprecipitationtranspiration

runoffwater vaporgroundwaterwater table

aquiferspringwell

reservoir

desalination – helps to remove dissolved salts

and materials from seawater to make it usable

water cycle - the cycle though which water moves to renew itself and return to the earth as rain

evaporation- when water turns into a gas called water vapor. Wind and heat from the sun speed up the evaporation

process.

condensation - when water, in its gas form, called

water vapor, turns back into its liquid form

precipitation - when water in the form of

ice, rain, sleet, hail, or snow, falls to Earth

transpiration – the water that plants give off as part of their respiratory process (they “breathe” in carbon dioxide and “breathe” out oxygen – in this process, they also make water)

runoff – when precipitation hits the ground, it is either absorbed, or it flows over the surface of the earth. This flow is called runoff.

water vapor - water in its gas form is water vapor. If you can see it, it’s not really water vapor!

groundwater – water that is in the ground

water table - there are water-filled spaces underground. The top of these spaces is called the water table. Think of the top of a table to remember!

aquifer – an underground layer of rock or soil that is filled with water. Think of it as an underground water

cave.

spring - springs are places where water seeps out of the ground. It’s where the underground water table

is so high that it reaches the surface of the earth.

well – a hole dug below the water table

reservoir – a storage area for drinking water. It will usually look like a lake to you. Pipelines bring the water to homes and other places.