Water Cycle and Surface Water Vocabulary

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Habitat

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An environment that provides the things a specific organism needs to live, grow and reproduce.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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Groundwater

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Water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

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Water Cycle

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The continual movement of water among Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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Evaporation

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The process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gas.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

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Transpiration

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The process by which water is lost through a plant’s leaves.

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Precipitation

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Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

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Tributary

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A stream or river that flows into a larger river.

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Watershed

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The land area that supplies water to a river system.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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Divide

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A ridge of land that separates one watershed from another.

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Reservoir

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A lake that stores water for human use.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4