Chapter 8 - The Hydrologic Cycle Flashcards
Which of the following is not a property of water?
a. water exists in three different phases on the surface of the earth
b. water has a high surface tension compared to many other liquids
c. water has a relatively high heat of vaporization
d. water always becomes more dense when it gets colder
e. water has a great ability to wick through capillary tubes
d. water always becomes more dense when it gets colder
Which of the following materials has a high porosity?
a. non-fractured igneous rock
b. sandstones with high contents of mineral cement
c. poorly sorted sediments
d. non-fractured metamorphic rock
e. sediments with uniform size
e. sediments with uniform size
Which of the following materials has a high porosity but a low permeability?
a. limestone rock
b. poorly sorted sediments
c. sediments with uniform size
d. clay
e. gravel
d. clay
What factor is most responsible for the decline of fishing villages near the Aral Sea?
a. increase in evaporation due to climate change
b. diversion of two in flowing rivers for agricultural purposes
c. poisoning of the sea from agricultural chemicals
d. overfishing
e. depletion of fish stocks from invasive species
b. diversion of two in flowing rivers for agricultural purposes
Which of the following is not a result of changes to the Aral sea?
a. seasonal flooding
b. pesticide and salt laden dust
c. decreased rainfall
d. colder winters
e. hotter summers
a. seasonal flooding
What technique has been successful in a partial restoration of the Aral Sea?
a. decrease in diversion of water for agricultural purposes
b. increasing the flow of rivers into the lake
c. reducing the flow of rivers out of the lake
d. Restriction of flow between arms of the lake
e. putting limits on fish catches
d. Restriction of flow between arms of the lake
Water plays a central role in _____________ _____________ and ______________ _______________.
Moderating temperature and controlling climate
The ________________ and _______________ ____________ of streams, waves, and glaciers, coupled with tectonic activity have produced to the _________ __ _______ ___________.
Erosional, depositional effects, diversity of earth’s landscapes
The unique ___________ ___________ of water make _____ __________.
Chemical properties, life possible
What is the largest reservoir in the hydrologic cycle?
The ocean
it contains more than 97.5% of Earth’s water
most of the water in the hydrologic cycle is feeling, and not usable by humans
what is the largest reservoir of fresh water?
The polar ice sheets
- contain 74% of earths freshwater
What is the largest reservoir of unfrozen fresh water?
Groundwater
Describe the movement of water through the hydrologic cycle
The hydrologic cycle is powered by the sun. The six main parts of the hydrologic cycle is:
- evaporation
- condensation
- precipitation
- transpiration
- surface runoff
- infiltration
What is infiltration?
The process by which water enters rock or soil through joints or small pore spaces between particles
What is transpiration?
Release of water vapour from plants
What is runoff?
Some of all rainwater that flows over surface - includes temporary near surface water
Streams are part of a complex natural system that include?
- A channel
- a drainage basin
- a divide
What are meandering channels?
- Straight channels are rare
- low gradient streams typically assume a sinuous shape, each bend is a meander
What are braided channels?
- stream with many interlacing channels and bars is called braided
what seven main ions is dissolve load comprised of?
- Bicarbonate
- calcium
- sulphate
- chloride
- sodium
- magnesium
- potassium
Streams form three major depositional landforms, what are they?
- Floodplain
- Alluvial fan
- Delta
What is floodplain?
Deposition of fine sediment beyond natural levees during a flood
What is alluvial fan?
A fan-shaped body of alluvium at the base of an upland area
What is Delta?
Triangular-shaped deposit formed when a stream enters the standing water of the sea or lake/
Names three surface water reservoirs water can remain stored in, describe them.
- Icecaps - the greatest surface water reservoir
- lakes - formed by glaciation, volcanism, tectonism
- wetlands - swamps, marshes, bogs
Less than 1% of the liquid water in the hydrosphere lies been the ___________
Ground. it is groundwater
- it comprises a volume 35 times larger than the volume of all the freshwater lakes and streams, and is nearly 1/3 as large as all the glaciers and sea ice.
- more than 50% of it is within the 750 m depth
Where does groundwater flow from?
Groundwater flows from high water table areas to low water table areas in response to gravity
- Replenishment occurs when rainfall and snowmelt and enter the ground in areas of recharge
- water moves through the system to areas discharge, where it meets the surface, streams, lakes, ponds or wetlands
What is an aquifer?
An aquifer is a body of rock or regolith sufficiently porous and permeable to store and conduct significant quantities of groundwater.
What is an artesian aquifer?
An artesian aquifer is an aquifer that has high hydrostatic pressure, it is freely flowing.
How does a cave form?
The cable form when circulating Graham water dissolves and underground void with no opening to the surface.
What is a sinkhole?
In contrast to a cave, a sinkhole is a large dissolution cavity open to the sky. in regions of exceptionally soluble rock, sinkholes and caves are so numerous that they combined to form a distinct typography of small basins, bridges, and pinnacles called karst.
What are three reasons that a reliable water supply is critical?
- For human survival and health
- for industry and agriculture
- for environmental services
What is the problem with withdrawing too much groundwater?
Excessive groundwater withdrawal can lead to lowering of the water table, drying of springs, compaction and subsidence.
How many people do not have access to clean drinking water?
1.2 billion people
What are five sources of contaminants of surface water?
- Urban, suburban and agricultural runoff
- industrial and landfill effluents
- mining, logging and petroleum discharge
- airborne contaminants
- thermal pollution
What circumstances lead to an algal bloom?
A common form of surface water contamination results from excess plant nutrients from fertilizers and detergents. This triggers algae growth, and aquatic weeds get out of control which leads to the bloom. when they die, their breakdown causes oxygen depletion, killing other organisms in the water, which is referred to as eutrophication.
