Hydrology and Water Types

Water and Its Forms

• The water table is the boundary between the unsaturated zone and the saturated zone.

Types of Water

• Hard water is water that has high mineral content.
• Soft water is water that is free from dissolved salts and minerals.

Aquifer and Water Saturation

• An aquifer is the zone beneath the water table that is saturated with water.

Heat and Energy

• A heat sink is anything that is able to absorb thermal (heat) energy without becoming significantly warmer.

Ice Forms

• An ice cap is a large covering of ice over a particular area of land.
• A glacier is a slow-moving mass of ice formed over hundreds of years as a result of snow accumulation.

System and Water

• A system is a group of parts that work together to perform a specific task.

Water Composition

• Water is a liquid made from two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Ecological Footprint

• Ecological footprint measures how much people take from nature compared to the amount of natural resources available for people.

State Changes

• Evaporation is a change in state where a liquid turns into a gas.
• Condensation is a change in state where a gas turns into a liquid.

Water Cycle

• The water cycle is the process where water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land.

Groundwater

• Groundwater is water located under the ground, within soil and rock.