Glossary

Annotation – A small explanation on part of a picture or chart.

Condensation – The process of transforming from a gas to a liquid.

Evaporation – The process of transforming from a liquid to a gas.

Hypothesis – A reasonable prediction about a scientific process or experiment that can be tested.

Precipitation – The process of water, either liquid or solid, falling to earth.

Scientific Method – A series of steps used by scientists to create experiments and find results.

Transpiration - The process of plants releasing water into the atmosphere.

Water Cycle – A diagram showing where water on Earth comes from, where it goes, and how it gets from one place to another.

Bank – The side of the river.

Bed – The bottom of a river. This can be sand, mud, rocks, or a combination.

Current – How fast water is flowing. Water always flows downhill, so steeper streams have faster currents.

Downstream – The direction that the water flows. 

Floodplain – The flat area next to a stream. This area floods when the water level is high.

Mouth – The end of a river where it flows into another river or a lake.

Source – The start of a river such as a spring. There are often multiple sources.

Stream – A small river.

Upstream – The opposite direction that the water flows. This is uphill.

Watershed – The surrounding hills that transport rainfall and snow melt into rivers and streams. 

Aquifer – An underground source of water, usually found within tiny spaces between rocks.

Cryosphere – All parts of Earth that are made of frozen water.

Depleted – Being drained, or emptied, of water.

Glacier – A frozen river of ice that slowly flows downhill.

Hydrosphere – All parts of Earth that are made of water.

Pores – Very small spaces in or between rocks where water is stored.

Water Table – The level below the surface of the Earth where water saturates the ground.

Infiltration – The process of water filtering down into the ground.

Porosity – A measurement of how much empty space can be found within a certain area of ground or rock.

Runoff – A water hazard that occurs when water cannot infiltrate the ground and flows across the land.

Aquatic – Relating to water or an area with lots of water. 

Biodiversity – The variety seen in an ecosystem.

Ecology – The study of ecosystems. 

Ecosystem – An ecosystem is all of the plants and animals that live in a certain area, how they interact with each other, and the physical environment they are all in. 

Environment – The surroundings or conditions in which a plant or animal lives. 

Evolve – To develop gradually from simple to more complex. 

Fossil – Any preserved remains, impression or trace of a once-living thing from the past.

Fossilized – Ancient or incapable of change. 

Organism – An individual plant or animal.

Aquaculture – The process of raising aquatic life for profit.

Clean Water Act – A set of rules and regulations that keep water sources in the U.S. clean.

Contamination – Occurs when contaminants, like chemicals, are present in water. Contaminated water is sometimes harmful.

Drought – Natural disaster that occurs when an area does not receive enough water to sustain plants or animals.

Pollution – Occurs when pollutants, like garbage or plastics, are present in water. Polluted water is always harmful.

Sustainability – A state of balance where the use of a resource does not exceed its availability.

Water Conservation – The act of managing your water use wisely so you waste less.

Water Shortage – Occurs when the use of a resource exceeds the available supply.