All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Name the process by which water vapor forms into ice without becoming liquid first.
Answer: Deposition. Water vapor directly forms solid ice crystals without liquid stage.
Flashcard 2: What is the process called when water is absorbed by soil and moves underground?
Answer: Infiltration. Water enters soil and becomes part of groundwater system.
Flashcard 3: Identify the process where liquid water is converted to water vapor.
Answer: Evaporation. Heat energy transforms liquid water molecules into gaseous state.
Flashcard 4: Identify the form of precipitation that occurs when rain freezes before hitting the ground.
Answer: Sleet. Rain freezes into ice pellets during descent through cold air.
Flashcard 5: Which term refers to the underground layer of water-bearing rock?
Answer: Aquifer. Permeable rock formation that stores and transmits groundwater.
Flashcard 6: Which component of the hydrologic cycle involves water moving across the Earth's surface?
Answer: Surface runoff. Water flows over land when infiltration capacity is exceeded.
Flashcard 7: What term describes the downward movement of water through soil?
Answer: Percolation. Gravity pulls water deeper through soil pore spaces.
Flashcard 8: Name the process where water vapor forms liquid droplets in the atmosphere.
Answer: Condensation. Phase change from gas to liquid when air cools.
Flashcard 9: What term describes the downward movement of water through soil?
Answer: Percolation. Gravity pulls water deeper through soil pore spaces.
Flashcard 10: Identify the phase change from ice directly to water vapor.
Answer: Sublimation. Solid water transforms directly to gas without liquid phase.
Flashcard 11: What is the term for the process of water moving from the surface to the subsurface?
Answer: Infiltration. Water penetrates ground surface and moves into soil layers.
Flashcard 12: What is the main reservoir for water in the hydrologic cycle?
Answer: Oceans. Hold approximately 97% of Earth's total water supply.
Flashcard 13: What process accounts for the majority of water vapor in the atmosphere?
Answer: Evaporation. Ocean surface evaporation contributes most atmospheric water vapor.
Flashcard 14: Which term refers to the sum of all forms of water movement back to the atmosphere?
Answer: Evapotranspiration. Combines evaporation from surfaces and transpiration from plants.
Flashcard 15: Identify the smallest component of the hydrologic cycle by volume.
Answer: Atmospheric water. Contains less than 0.001% of total global water.
Flashcard 16: Which term describes the total amount of water evaporated and transpired from a landscape?
Answer: Evapotranspiration. Combined water loss from soil surfaces and plant leaves.
Flashcard 17: Which process involves the transition of water from liquid to gas at the surface?
Answer: Evaporation. Liquid water gains energy and becomes water vapor gas.
Flashcard 18: What is the term for the solid form of precipitation that falls as ice crystals?
Answer: Snow. Frozen precipitation formed from ice crystals in clouds.
Flashcard 19: Identify the term for water that collects in large bodies like lakes and oceans.
Answer: Surface water. Includes rivers, lakes, oceans, and other visible water bodies.
Flashcard 20: Identify the process by which water vapor cools and changes to liquid.
Answer: Condensation. Water vapor loses heat and transitions to liquid droplets.
Flashcard 21: What is the term for water flowing over the land surface into bodies of water?
Answer: Runoff. Surface water flows due to gravity when soil cannot absorb more.
Flashcard 22: Identify the process that involves water seeping through soil and rock layers.
Answer: Percolation. Water moves downward through porous soil and rock layers.
Flashcard 23: Which term describes the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-atmosphere system?
Answer: Hydrologic cycle. Water continuously moves between atmosphere, land, and oceans.
Flashcard 24: Identify the term for the area of land where all water drains into a common outlet.
Answer: Watershed. Drainage basin bounded by topographic divides or ridges.
Flashcard 25: Name the process where precipitation is intercepted by vegetation before reaching the ground.
Answer: Interception. Plant canopies catch rainfall before it reaches soil surface.
Flashcard 26: Which process is responsible for the formation of clouds?
Answer: Condensation. Water vapor cools and forms tiny droplets around particles.
Flashcard 27: What is the process where plants absorb water through roots and release it as vapor?
Answer: Transpiration. Water moves from roots to leaves and exits as vapor.
Flashcard 28: What is the phase change from solid directly to gas called?
Answer: Sublimation. Ice transforms directly to vapor without melting to liquid.
Flashcard 29: What is the process of water soaking into the ground called?
Answer: Infiltration. Water penetrates soil surface and moves into underground spaces.
Flashcard 30: What is the primary force that causes precipitation to fall to Earth?
Answer: Gravity. Gravitational force pulls water droplets downward to Earth.