Ch.11 Flashcards
Where is most of Earth’s fresh water found
Ice caps and glaciers
What is surface water?
Lakes, rivers, and streams
What is the relationship between surface water and ground water?
Surface water percolates through the soil to form groundwater
Why is chlorine added to water during the water treatment process?
To kill pathogens in the water
How is fresh water used in industry?
It is used in manufacturing processes, waste disposal, and generate power
How have areas lacking adequate freshwater become habitable?
Water management projects redirect water supplies
How can individuals conserve water?
Low flow toilet, short showers, dishwater and washing machine low water versions, water lawns early morning or evening
What are nonpoint sources of pollution?
Run off from parking lots, neighborhoods and agricultural land
What are pathogens
Viruses, bacteria and organisms that cause disease
Why is polluted groundwater hard to clean?
Because the pollutant are underground, cling to the soil of the groundwater, and it take hundreds or thousands of year for water to completely cycle though the ground.
What the largest watershed in the United States?
Mississippi
What type of pollution can be traced back to one location?
Point-source pollution
Where do most large cities and industries get their water from?
Lakes and rivers
What is the cheapest and most efficient way to increase the water supply
Water conservation
Why have communities banned detergents containing high levels of phosphates
Phosphates promote growth of algae in lakes and streams leading the death of fish by suffocation.
What can lead to conflicts between countries that share a river?
The country upstream takes more water leaving less for the country downstream
What are aquifers and their characteristics?
Large porous regions of limestone in which water is stored beneath the ground, that are recharged (refilled) by lakes and streams, recharge is slow and needs to avoid pollution
What is an effective method to prevent future water shortages?
Water conservation, reduce pollution, develop new ways to desalinate water
What are the effects of water pollution on ecosystems
Usually seen overtime as the pollution undergoes biological magnification
What do both thermal pollution and artificial eutrophication cause to happen in a body of water?
Decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen
