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Aquifers
Porous, water-bearing layers of sand, gravel and rock below the earth's surface; reservoirs for groundwater.
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consumption
The water lost from the system throgh evaporation, absorbtion or contamination.
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eutrophic
Rivers and lakes rich in organic material.
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flux
The amont of material transferred between compartments per unit time.
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groundwater
Water held in gravel deposits or porous roch below the earth's surface.
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hydrological cycle
The natural process by which water is purified and made fresh through evaporation and precipitation.
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infiltration
The process of water percolation into the soil and pores and hollow permeable rocks.
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oligitrophic
Condition of rivers and lakes that have clear water and low biological productivity.
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oxygen sag
Decline in oxygen downstream from a pollution source that introduces materials with high biological oxygen demands.
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transpiration
The evaporation of water from plant surfaces, especially throught stomates.
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residence time
The length of time a component, such as an individual water molecule, spends in a particular process or cycle.
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runoff
The excess of precipitation over evaporation; the main source of surface water and in broad terms, the water available for human use.
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watershed
All the land drained by a stream or river.
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water table
The top layer of the zone of saturation.
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withdrawal
The total amount of water taken from a water supply.
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zone of aeration
Upper soil layers that hold both air and water.
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zone of saturation
Lower soil layers where all spaces are filled with water.
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