Freshwater

Question 1

How much of Earths water is freshwater?

Answer 1

3%

Question 2

How much of Earth’s freshwater is frozen?

Answer 2

2/3

Question 3

What is the difference between alpine glaciers and ice sheets?

Answer 3

Alpine Glaciers- A glacier that forms in the mountains

Ice Sheets- A glacier that spreads over land in all directions

Question 4

How much of Earth’s frozen water is in alpine glaciers and ice sheets?

Answer 4

Alpine Glaciers- 3%

Ice Sheets- 97%

Question 5

Where are Earth’s two largest ice sheets?

Answer 5

Antarctica and Greenland

Question 6

When did the last ice age end?

Answer 6

20,000 years ago

Question 7

Under what glacial conditions do sea levels rise and fall?

Answer 7

The decreasing of glaciers

Question 8

What is sea ice?

Answer 8

Ice that forms when sea ice freezes

Question 9

Does sea ice change sea level?

Answer 9

No because the amount of sea ice is equivalent to the amount of water that it displaces

Question 10

How do glaciers and sea ice affect climate?

Answer 10

Glaciers and sea ice keep surface and air temperatures low

Question 11

What is an ice core?

Answer 11

Long columns of ice taken from glaciers

Question 12

How is an ice core used to find evidence of climate change?

Answer 12

Ice core helps detect the amount of carbon dioxide in the air

Question 13

What does the positive feedback loop cause by melting glaciers and sea ice?

Answer 13

By melting glaciers and sea ice the amount of energy absorbed from the sun increases

Question 14

What is a stream?

Answer 14

A body of water that flows within a channel

Question 15

How does turbulent water flow improve downstream water conditions?

Answer 15

It increases the oxygen content of the water making it healthier

Question 16

Define watershed

Answer 16

An area of land that drains runoff into a particular stream, lake, or ocean

Question 17

Define headwater

Answer 17

A tributary stream of a river forming part of its source

Question 18

Define estuary

Answer 18

A coastal area where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with freshwater

Question 19

How do people affect their watershed?

Answer 19

By changing the direction in which their runoff flows

Question 20

What is groundwater?

Answer 20

Water that generally lies below the ground

Question 21

What is surface water?

Answer 21

Water that generally lies on the Earth’s suface

Question 22

What is an auqifer?

Answer 22

An area of permeable sediment or rock that holds significant amounts of water

Question 23

Describe the saturated and unsaturated zones in a watertable.

Answer 23

Unsaturated- The pores near Earth’s surface that contain a mixture of air and water
Saturated- Pores far beneath Earth’s surface filled with water

Question 24

What is porosity?

Answer 24

A measure of rock’s ability to hold water

Question 25

What is permeability?

Answer 25

The measure of water’s ability to flow through rock and sediment

Question 26

In what direction does groundwater flow?

Answer 26

From higher elevation to lower elevation

Question 27

What is a well?

Answer 27

A shaft sunk into the ground to obtain water, oil, or gas

Question 28

What is a spring?

Answer 28

Places where ground water is exposed

Question 29

What are wetlands?

Answer 29

An area of land that is saturated with water for part or all of the year

Question 30

Why are wetlands important?

Answer 30

Because of habitat, flood control, erosion control, and filtration

Question 31

What are people doing to wetlands?

Answer 31

Humans are draining them out and filling them up with soil for roads, buildings and other uses