ENVIRON 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Groundwater Pollution, Aquifer, Water Pollution
15 Nov 2016
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Environ 201- chapter 15: freshwater systems and resources. Fresh water: water that is relatively pure, holding very few dissolved salts. Surface water: water located atop earth"s surface. Water table: the upper limit of groundwater held in an aquifer. Unconfined aquifer: a water-bearing porous layer of rock, sand, or gravel that lies atop a less-permeable substrate; the water in an unconfined aquifer is not under pressure because there is no impermeable upper layer to confine it. Watershed: the entire area of land from which water drains into a given river. Floodplain: the region of land over which a river has historically wandered and periodically floods. Wetlands: a system in which soil is saturated with water and that generally features shallow standing water with ample vegetation; these biologically productive systems include freshwater marshes, swamps, bogs, and seasonal wetlands such as vernal pools.
