Groundwater
Groundwater is water stored below Earthโ€s surface in the pores and cracks of soil, sand, gravel, and rock.
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Environment Topics
Browse Qlopedia topics grouped under Environment.
63 topics, showing 25-48 on page 2 of 3.
Topics
Greywater
Greywater is lightly used household wastewater from sources such as showers, bathroom sinks, and laundry that may be reused for non-drinking purposes when handled safely.
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment removes solids, organic matter, pathogens, and other pollutants from used water before it is discharged or reused.
Bioswales
Bioswales are shallow vegetated channels that slow, convey, and sometimes filter or infiltrate stormwater runoff.
Bioretention
Bioretention is a stormwater practice that routes runoff into planted, engineered soil areas where water is stored, filtered, and sometimes infiltrated.
Septic systems
Septic systems are onsite wastewater systems that treat household sewage using a tank, soil, and a drainfield rather than a centralized sewer.
Combined sewer overflows
Combined sewer overflows happen when older sewers that carry both sewage and stormwater release excess flow to nearby waters during wet weather.
Green stormwater infrastructure
Green stormwater infrastructure uses plants, soils, and designed landscapes to slow, absorb, store, and filter rainwater close to where it falls.
Hypoxia
Hypoxia is a low-oxygen condition in water that can stress or kill aquatic life when oxygen drops below what organisms need to survive.
Nonpoint source pollution
Nonpoint source pollution is diffuse pollution carried by rain, snowmelt, or runoff from many places rather than a single pipe or discharge point.
Red tide
Red tide is a common name for some marine harmful algal blooms, especially blooms that discolor water or produce toxins along coasts.
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria found in water and moist environments; some species can form harmful blooms and produce toxins.
Nutrient pollution
Nutrient pollution happens when too much nitrogen or phosphorus enters water or air, often fueling algal blooms, low oxygen, and other water-quality problems.
Harmful algal blooms
Harmful algal blooms are rapid growths of algae or cyanobacteria that can harm people, animals, ecosystems, water supplies, or local economies.
Dead zones
Dead zones are low-oxygen areas in water where many fish, shellfish, and bottom-dwelling animals cannot survive or must leave.
Eutrophication
Eutrophication is the over-enrichment of water with nutrients, often nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to excess algae or plant growth and possible oxygen loss.
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are drifting animals and animal-like organisms that feed in aquatic food webs and transfer energy from phytoplankton to fish and larger predators.
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that drift in water, form the base of many aquatic food webs, and help move carbon through the ocean.
Ocean deoxygenation
Ocean deoxygenation is the decline of dissolved oxygen in seawater, driven by warming, changing circulation, and biological oxygen use in open and coastal waters.
Coral restoration
Coral restoration uses active interventions such as nurseries, outplanting, and habitat repair to help damaged reefs recover key coral populations and ecosystem functions.
Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas are designated ocean, coastal, estuary, or Great Lakes places managed to provide lasting protection for natural, cultural, or historical resources.
Kelp forests
Kelp forests are underwater habitats formed by large brown algae that grow in cool, nutrient-rich coastal waters and shelter many marine species.
Marine heatwaves
Marine heatwaves are periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures that last long enough to stress marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities.
Coral bleaching
Coral bleaching happens when stressed corals lose the algae that give them color and much of their food, often because seawater stays too warm for too long.