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Newsletter and Technical Publications
Lakes and Reservoirs vol. 2
The Watershed: Water from the Mountains into
the Sea
Glossary
| anthropogenic |
originated by humans |
| aquifer |
naturally stored underground water |
| Artesian well |
a well made by a perpendicular boring into a confined aquifer |
| brackish |
having a somewhat salty taste |
| catchment |
the physical or surface area from which rainfall flows into a
river, lake or reservoir |
| dendritic |
"tree branch-like" shape |
| drainage basin |
region surrounding a lake, reservoir and rivers from which water
is drained into |
| ecosystem |
functional natural component consisting of plants, animals, and
microorganisms together with the surroundings |
| estuary |
the part of the wide lower course of a river where it is met by
the sea |
| fauna |
animals |
| fjord |
a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes in a
coastal area |
| flora |
plants |
| hydrologic cycle |
cycle of water |
| impoundment |
a confined body of water |
| oasis |
a green patch of vegetation in dry areas or deserts where water
is found on the surface |
| perennial ice |
ice in glaciers, high mountains and polar areas which are always
present throughout the year |
| permafrost |
frozen underground water |
| phytoplankton |
a community of microscopic plants found in the majority of
surface water-bodies |
| runoff |
water which flows on the ground surface after rainfall |
| sedimentation |
process in which suspended particles settle to the bottom |
| socioeconomic |
of or involving both social and economic factors |
| susbsidence |
sinking of the ground |
| subterranean |
situated or operating beneath the earth's surface; underground |
| Wadi |
a name given in the Arab region to an ephemeral watercourse |
| water quality |
a description of how good (adequate) a water is for a particular
purpose |
| watershed |
either the dividing line between two water catchments or the
catchment itself |
| water table |
the level below which the ground is completely saturated with
water |
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