6th Science Water Unit Vocab

the process by which fragments of soil and rock are broken off from the ground surface and carried away

the top of the saturated zone, or depth to the groundwater in an aquifer

the land area that supplies water to a river system

the process by which nutrients in a lake build up over time, causing an increase in the growth of algae

a specific source of pollution that can be identified, such as a pipe

characteristics of materials that allow water to easily pass through them, such as sand and gravel

(parts per million) a measurement of the concentration of a substance in water or soil. One ppm is roughly equal to 5 liters of a substance in an Olympic-sized swimming pool

(parts per billion) a measurement of the concentration of a substance in water or soil. One ppb is roughly equal to a teaspoon of a substance in an Olympic-sized swimming pool

an area of contamination

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

the boundary where the concentration of pollution is unsafe for people

characteristics of materials through which water does not easily pass, such as clay and granite

the addition of any substance that has a negative effect on water or the living things that depend on it

a widely spread source of pollution that is difficult to link to a specific point of origin, such as road runoff

the amount of one substance in a certain volume of another substance

an underground layer of rock or soil that holds water

an area of land that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year

standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for drinking water quality. A MCL is the legal threshold limit on the amount of a hazardous substance that is allowed in drinker water under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

tiny openings in and between particles of rock and soil which may contain air or water

water that fills the cracks and pores in the underground soil and rock layers