Chapter 10 Midterm 2 Flashcards
water
first-order streams
Headwater streams with no upstream tributaries.
watershed
The land area where water collects and eventually empties into a body of water.
wetland
Land areas where soil is seasonally or permanently saturated with water.
estuary
A transition area between the land and sea where freshwater and saltwater intermix.
Mississippi delta
coastal wetland/estuary area
Oceans contain
97% of world’s water
Lakes examples
Great Lakes, Lake Pepin
Where is 69% of Earth’s freshwater stored?
in glaciers in Anarctica (90%), Greenland, Tibet, Washington, Alaska
How do glaciers impact weather patterns?
sunlight reflect off surface of glaciers, disperses into the atmosphere above glacier, warms up parcels of air and alters pressure/wind patterns
If melt completely, darker surface area exposed, absorb much more energy and warm readily
Groundwater makes up
94% of world’s liquid freshwater
How is groundwater a vital resource?
Supports network of connected freshwaters/provides vital source of water for households and industry
zone of aeration
Relatively shallow area of ground made of soil and air. Water percolates down through this zone before reaching the water table.
zone of saturation
Where groundwater resides, underneath the zone of aeration.
water table
The top of the groundwater in the zone of saturation.
Aquifer
accumulation of water in the ground because the water moving downward through soil comes in contact with clay or another nonporous material
Steps of the hydrologic cycle
Percolation of water from above through zone of aeration, moves to zone of saturation, top of this area is water table, when downward movement of water reaches clay or other nonporous material, water accumulates and forms aquifer
Percentages of water in the world
The majority of Earth’s water exists as saltwater in the oceans. Only approximately 3 percent is freshwater, and of this amount over 68 percent is locked in glaciers and ice sheets. Another 30 percent is within the ground, leaving less than 1 percent accessible as surface water in lakes, rivers, and swamps.
Why is water necessary for life?
Animals, plants, fungi, and other taxonomic groups need water to complete their basic metabolic processes
Water footprint is greater than we think because is does not include…
virtual water footprint
What does virtual water footprint include?
manufacturing, growing food, other businesses
How do we make sure aquifers aren’t depleted?
volume, and recharging rate of these aquifers is essential to make sure that the removal of their water does not exceed recharging rates
Bottled water is…
bad for the environment because it increases virtual water footprint
Irrigation is used in
agriculture (most), energy (nuclear, fracking, dams, steam in turbines for power plants), dyeing, bleaching, printing of textiles
Example of water overuse
overuse of Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Ogalla Aquifier
Who uses the most water in the world?
India
We are losing water due to…
dams, levees, shipping canals
levees
embankments for preventing flooding
Why do levees cause problems?
reduce sediment load
Why do shipping canals cause problems?
they have provided a route for saltwater to travel deep into the wetlands and disrupt wetland functions
Why do dams cause problems?
reduce sedimentation rates in rivers and threaten wetlands, displace people (ex. Three Gorges Dam)
water pollution
Any physical, biological, chemical, or radiological change in water that negatively affects the health and survival of humans or other organisms.
water pollution includes
sewage, garbage, various forms of wastes, and radioactive materials, to heat
pollution is more abundant in…
densely populated areas
dilution is…
not a solution to pollution
open defecation
defecation in the open because of little access to plumbing
pesticides
cause runoff that pollute water
algal blooms
A rapid population increase of algae, usually due to an over enrichment of nutrients.
dead zone
Aquatic areas with low oxygen concentrations and few organisms; usually caused by bacteria decomposers consuming the majority of oxygen while breaking down masses of dead algal cells.
cultural eutrophication
Eutrophication due to nutrients arising from human activities.
organic waste causes…
typhoid, cholera, guinea worm disease, intestinal worm infestations, trachoma, and schistosomiasis in human populations
organic and inorganic pollutants
BPA, pthalates, organic chlorides
pthalates
Organic compound used to increase the flexibility of plastics; an endocrine disruptor.
organic chlorides
Organic compounds used in pesticides, Teflon, and PVC pipes.
inorganic pollutants
heavy metals, salts, and acids: hexavalent chromium, mercury, sodium chloride
groundwater pollutants
nitrates, nitrites, (cause blue baby syndrome), atrazine
thermal pollution
the release of artificially warm water into the environment
legacy sediments
Sediments or soil structures that are the result of pioneering efforts of early settlers who deforested areas and constructed mill ponds.
point sources
identifiable (Chimneys, pipes, wastewater treatment plants, factories, coal mines, and oil wells )
non point sources
does not originate from discrete source (stormwater runoff from urban areas, and pesticide and nutrient runoff from farmlands.)
6 types of water pollution
Open defecation, pesticides, excess nutrients, infectious waste, and inorganic/organic pollutants
ocean pollution includes…
oil pollution and natural disasters
how to reduce strain on water resources?
conserve/decrease water usage, desalination, wastewater treatment, legislation
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
A hazardous group of compounds used, for example, in paints and oils. They evaporate from these products and become gases in the atmosphere.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
A system controlled by the Environmental Protection Agency and used to regulate and prevent pollution discharge into navigable waters.
desalination
Creating freshwater from saltwater.
sewage treatment process
pretreatment, or screening out large debris, followed by
primary-Suspended solids and grease are removed
secondary- Bacteria added and aerated and break down dissolved organic matter.
tertiary treatments- chlorine or ultraviolet light kills any infectious agents
humans composed of
70% water
what happens to raindrops falling to earth?
–Some intercepted by vegetation and evaporated
–Some infiltrates permeable ground
–Some blocked by impermeable surfaces
Field capacity
amount of water held by capillary forces
What are the factors infiltration depends on?
Physical characteristics of soil
– Coarse soils = greater infiltration
rates
* Moisture content of soil
– Dry soils absorb more moisture
* Vegetation cover
– Dense cover prevents infiltration
* Nature of rainfall
– Strong and long storms cause run-off
– Run-off flows until it reaches a
stream or permeable soil or rock
unconfined aquifer
groundwater recharged by surface water directly above it
confined aquifer
stores groundwater between impermeable layers
