Environmental Science - Chapter 15 Flashcards
True or False. The energy needed to drive the hydrologic cycle is provided by the sun.
True
True or False. Water is a nonrenewable resource because once it is polluted, it is no longer potable.
False
True or False. Shortages of potable water can be attributed chiefly to natural, physical processes.
False
True or False. Water supplies are distributed evenly around the world.
False
True or False. Parts of the U.S. are currently facing a “water crisis”.
True
True or False. Thermal pollution occurs when industry returns heated water to its source.
True
True or False. Groundwater mining accounts for nearly half of the drinking water in the United States.
True
True or False. The largest consumptive use of water is for municipal drinking water.
False
True or False. Water the infiltrates the soil and is stored underground is called runoff.
False
True or False. Temperature change in water can alter the kinds and number of plants and animals.
True
The two activities that use the most water for a typical North American family of four are…
lawns and toilets
Worldwide, does industry or domestic uses use the least amount of water?
domestic uses (drinking, cooking, toilets, etc.)
The majority of freshwater in the world is present as…
ice and glaciers
Ways humans alter the natural hydrologic cycle…
- evaporation as a result of irrigation
- runoff from city streets
- pumping water from aquifers
Processes of the hydrologic cycle…
- evapotranspiration
- flow of water to the oceans
- precipitation
Stages in the hydrologic cycle…
- transpiration moves water from plant surfaces to the atmosphere
- precipitation is the movement of water from the atmosphere to earth
- evaporation moves water from the land and water surfaces to the atmosphere
Groundwater
accumulates from water that falls on the land’s surface
The porous layer where water accumulates in the ground is called an
aquifer
The upper surface of an unconfined aquifer is called a
water table
Water is a renewable resource that circulates continually between the atmosphere and
The Earth’s surface
Bottled water…
costs more than water from a municipal water system.
Common problems associated with irrigation are…
- evaporation causes salt to accumulate in the soil
- the water that flows from irrigated fields is contaminated
- pumping water for irrigation lowers water tables
Thermal pollution of water is primarily from…
release of heated water from industry
Water enters the atmosphere because of…
- plants releasing water from their surfaces
- evaporation from lakes, rivers, and oceans
- evaporation from the soil surface
Examples of water pollution are…
- soil that erodes from a hillside into a local stream reducing the ability of aquatic plants to photosynthesize
- increase in water temperature from a factory dumping clean but warm water back in that reduces some of the species
- high levels of bacteria that would make people sick
- oil that leaks into ground water that prevents drinking the water
Aquifer that is bound on the top and bottom by impermeable layers
Confined aquifer
Strategically placed openings deliver water directly to the roots of plants
Trickle
A source of pollution readily located and identified
Point source
More difficult pollutants to identify and control. Diffuse pollutants from agricultural land and urban paved surfaces
Non-point source
When industry withdraws water from a source, uses it for cooling purposes, and returns heated water to its original source
Thermal pollution
