從今年梅雨期提早結束談與乾旱有關的詞彙

根據台灣的Weatherrisk, 天氣風險管理公司所發佈的資料，台灣今年的梅雨期已經在5月27日結束, 今年的夏天將會前所未有的熱。平均超過攝氏35度的日子將會超過38天以上! 雖然前陣子乾旱限水的危機因為及時的大雨而稍解旱象，今天每週潮字單元讓我們來複習一些與乾旱有關的字彙。 1. desalination 海水淡化: the process of removing salt and other minerals to make seawater drinkable. 將海水中的鹽分及其他礦物質去除掉使其成為可飲用水的過程。

Lower Rio Grande Regional Seawater Desalination project Pilot Facility operator, Joe del Rio, holds two graduates of water, Friday, June 22, 2007 at the Brownsville Shrimp Basin. Left is treated water and on the right is raw seawater. According to a recent report by Global Water Intelligence, the worldwide desalination industry is expected to grow 140 percent over the next decade, entailing $25 billion in capital investment by 2010, or $56 billion by 2015. (AP Photo/Brad Doherty)

2. drought 乾旱: the lack of moisture over an extended period of time, causing water shortages that adversely affects people, wildlife and vegetation. 在一長段時間異常乾燥的天氣型態，其造成之缺水情形，導致地區的嚴重水文不平衡（如穀物受損、水供應短缺）。 3. graywater 可循環水可再生利用的水: water from the shower, sinks, washing machines, dishwashers and other household activities (other than toilet waste) that passes through a recycling system and can be used to wash cars, water lawns and fill toilets 可循環水 (或稱生活灰水) 為污染程度比較低的污水，經濾化後分離有害因子使其可供回收再利用。 4. groundwater 地下水: precipitation that infiltrates the soil and seeps downward. It supplies wells and springs. 5. precipitation 降雨降雪等: rain, hail, snow or sleet 6. rain barrel 雨桶: a system that collects rainwater from the roof. 從屋頂蒐集雨水的一種裝置 7. runoff 地表逕流: precipitation that ends up in streams 水從土壤表面流入最靠近的地表溪流；下雨後未流入地表之下的逕流。 8. watershed 流域/集水區: an area within which all precipitation will drain toward a single outlet, such as a river, lake or stream. Also called a “drainage basin" 所有的降雨將會匯流至單一出口如湖、河、溪流等。