Freshwater resources and resources Flashcards
1
Q
what types of water bodies carry water and sediment toward the ocean
A
rivers and streams
2
Q
how do rivers and streams modify landscapes
A
by erosion and deposition
3
Q
five main wetland classes are
A
- marshes
- bogs
- swamps
- fens
- shallow-water wetlands
4
Q
what do wetlands provide us with
A
ecosystem services and diverse habitats
5
Q
what are lakes
A
open and standing bodies of surface water
5
Q
what are the different categorized zones of a lake
A
- littoral
- limnetic
- benthic
(4. profundal zone)
5
Q
where does ground water reside in
A
the pore spaces and cracks of subsurface aquifers
6
Q
where is ground water replenished
A
in recharge zones by precipitation and infiltration
7
Q
where does ground water flow out to join surface water bodies
A
at discharge zones
8
Q
how does diversion or withdrawal of water from surface water bodies affect the environment
A
Reduction in flow alters ecology of lower river by changing plant communities, wiping out fish populations
9
Q
what part of the river does diversions affect the most
A
downstream
10
Q
what are some types of channel interventions for flood control
A
- levees
- floodways
- dikes
- dams
11
Q
what is the international agreement to protect wetlands
A
the Ramsar Convention
12
Q
why have wetlands been aggressively drained and filled-in
A
agriculture, costal development and other activities
13
Q
what is the biggest use of water
A
agriculture
14
Q
why are agricultural practices the biggest use of water
A
primarily based on inefficient irrigation systems which waste large amounts of water
15
Q
why is ground water hard to monitor
A
because it is hidden from view
16
Q
why are groundwater aquifers often easy to deplete
A
because they have a very slow rate of recharge (they fill up slowly after water flows out)
17
Q
what are the two solutions to address the depletion of fresh water
A
- increase supply (ex. piping in water from areas where it is abundant)
- decrease demand (ex. by stressing conservation and efficiency)
18
Q
what is the only way to “make” more fresh water
A
desalination (but it’s expensive)
19
Q
what is a way to reduce the water used by agriculture
A
more efficient irrigation (like high-efficiency irrigation that directs just the right amount of water on plant’s roots)
20
Q
how can household water be reduced
A
1.eating less meat
2. installing water-efficient toilets
3. smart watering (water grass at night)
21
Q
what are the two sources of water pollution
A
- point sources
- non-point sources
22
Q
what are some examples of common pollutants
A
- excessive nutrients
- microbial pathogens
- toxic chemicals
- sediment and thermal pollution
23
what types of indicators do scientists use to monitor water quality
1. biological
2. physical
3. chemical
24
examples of indicators used for water quality analysis
1. turbidity
2. hardness
3. pH
4. fecal coliform bacteria
25
true or false
ground water faces different types and sources of pollution than surface waters
false - face the same types and sources
26
what distinguishes groundwater pollution from surface water pollution
groundwater pollution is much harder to detect and treat
27
what is believed about the Fisheries Act in Canada
recent changes in the act have reduced the protection of aquatic systems and habitats
28
do many people worldwide still lack access to improved and clean drinking water
YES - almost a billion worldwide
29
what is the better remediation solution for water pollution
preventing the pollution from happening instead of trying to fix it afterwards
30
what are used to treat waste water in rural areas
septic systems
31
what is the effluent produced after waste water treatment used for
urban irrigation
groundwater recharge
32
what are two types of approaches to ground water remediation
1. in-situ remediation
2. pump-and-treat remediation
33
is fresh water abundant on earth
no - only makes up about 2.5% of water on earth
34
where does 97.5% of water reside on earth
in the oceans - too salty to drink
35
how do reservoirs in the water cycle differ
○ amounts of water stored and transmitted
○ How long they hold water in storage
36
describe the residence time for a larger reservoir
it is much longer than a smaller reservoir
37
is freshwater distributed evenly or unevenly around the world
unevenly (a reason dams and irrigation was created)
38
how will climate change affect the hydrologic cycle and global access to water
○ Altering precipitation patterns
○ Melting glaciers and permafrost
○ Intensifying droughts and floods
○ Decreasing river flows
○ Lowering groundwater levels
- Raising sea levels
39
how are streams, creeks and brooks formed
when rain, snowmelt and springs run downhill and converge where land dips lowest
40
what bodies of water eventually merge into rivers
Streams, creeks and brooks
41
what body of water carry water to the oceans
rivers
42
tributary
smaller river flowing into a larger one
43
drainage basin (watershed)
area of land drained by a river and all its tributaries
44
floodplain
- The flat areas nearest to the river's course that are flooded periodically
45
Riparian (aka riverside)
Relating to a river or the area along a river
46
describe the biodiversity along a riparian
species rich and productive forests
47
will changes upstream affect the communities and water downstream
yes
48
wetlands
Systems that combine elements of freshwater and dry land are rich and productive
49
what are 3 things wetlands are characterized by
○ Presence of water (not always standing water and not always year round)
○ Soils are water-saturated
- Water is typically freshwater
50
biological importance of a wetland
Extremely valuable habitat for wildlife as it offers diverse assortment of habitats and niches
51
what type of wetland is this:
Shallow water allows grasses and seasonal herbaceous plants to grow above the water's surface where water levels fluctuate daily, seasonally or annually
marsh
52
what type of wetland is this:
Shallow, standing water that is rich in vegetation that occur in forested or wooded areas
swamp
53
what type of wetland is this:
Peatlands were the water table is at or just below the surface that have poor mineralized soils since they rely of precipitation for water replenishment
bog
54
what type of wetland is this:
Contains open, standing or flowing water that is less than 2 m deep and are usually Transitional between permanent, deep bodies of water (lakes) and the other types of wetlands
Shallow open water
55
Ground water
Water held in aquifers underground
56
Aquifers
Porous formations of rock, sand or gravel that hold water
56
zone of aeration vs zone of saturation
zone of aeration
- Upper layer of an aquifer that consist of rock or sediments where the pores are partly filled with water
zone of saturation
- lower layer of an aquifer where spaces or pores are completely filled with water
57
aquifer recharge zone
recharge zone
Any area where water infiltrates the surface, percolates downwards and reaches an aquifer below = fills it up
58
Two categories of aquifer
confined aquifer vs unconfined aquifer
59
confined vs nonconfined aquifer
confined
- Exists when a water-bearing porous layer of rock, sand or gravel is trapped between overlying and underlying layers of less permeable substrate (lots of pressure on water)
non-confined
- Has no impermeable layers that confine it and the water is under less pressure and can readily be recharged by surface water
60
Diversions
The rerouting of water from its natural river channel or drainage by means of built structures
61
consumptive use vs non-consumptive use for consumption of fresh water
consumptive use
Removing water from an aquifer or surface water body without returning it
non-consumptive use
Does not remove, or temporarily removes, water from an aquifer or surface water body
62
where are consequences of diversions the most felt
downstream
63
Channelization
Artificial, engineered modifications of river channels
64
why are dams built
○ to prevent floods
○ Provide drinking water
Generate electricity
65
benefits and drawbacks of dams
benefits
○ Facilitated transportation
○ Flood control
○ Power generation
○ Drinking water
○ Crop irrigation
drawbacks
○ Costly
○ Submerge archeological sites
○ Filing of the reservoir can flood cities and displace people
○ Habitat alteration
- Risk of failure
66
what is a negative impact from increasing supply in terms of the issue of water depletion
taking fresh water away from where it is plentiful can negatively impact the natural habitats its taken from
67
Desalinization
Removal of salt from sea water or other water of marginal quality
68
why is desalinization not an ideal solution to fresh water crises
Desalination is expensive, needs large inputs of fossil fuels and generates concentrated salty waste
69
Point source pollution vs non-point source pollution
Point source
- Water pollution emitted in discrete locations (factory outflow, sewer pipes)
non-point source
- Water pollution emitted from multiple cumulative inputs over larger areas (farms, city streets...)
70
nutrient pollution often refers to
algal blooms
(Excess phosphorus enters surface water and fertilizes algae and aquatic plants which boosts their populations and growth = algae cover the water's surface which deprive deeper-water plants of sunlight)
71
what does thermal water pollution refer to
As temp rises = water's ability to hold dissolved oxygen decreases
(Rising temps of water will affect which aquatic species can survive waters with less oxygen)
72
Waste water
Water that has been used by people in some way
(Carrying sewage, Water from showers, sinks and washing machines, Stormwater runoff)
73
what is the most popular method of waste water disposal
septic system
73
Effluent
treated waste water
74
primary treatment vs secondary treatment for wastewater
primary treatment
- The physical removal of contaminants in settling tanks or clarifiers
(removes 60% of suspended solids)
secondary treatment
- Water is stirred and aerated so that aerobic bacteria degrade organic pollutants (removes 90% of suspended solids)
75
Sludge
Solid material removed from the waste water during the treatment process
76
LNAPLs vs DNAPLs contaminants
LNAPLs
- Light non-aqueous phase liquids where contaminants float on top of the water
(Oil)
DNAPLs
- Dense non aqueous phase liquids
where contaminants do not float on the top of ground water but will sink or mix with the ground water
77
Three categories of groundwater remediation technologies
physical (Remediation technology for LNAPLs that includes vacuuming, skimming and air sparging)
chemical (Remediation technology for DNAPLs that includes Carbon filtering)
biological (Remediation for in situ groundwater remediation and often includes introduction of microorganisms into the contaminated ground water)
78
what is the greatest usage of fresh water (globally)
agriculture (about 70%)
79
describe the soils in a floodplain
soils are fertile due to frequent deposition of silt
80
importance of wetlands
- reduce flooding
- recharge aquifers
- filter pollutants
- valuable habitat for wildlife
81
why have people drained wetlands
for agricultural purpose
82
oligotrophic vs eutrophic
oligotrophic
- have low nutrient and high oxygen conditions
eutrophic
- have nigh nutrient and low oxygen concentration
83
inland freshwater seas
large lakes that hold so much water that their biota is adapted to open water
84
how does ground water become surface water
through springs or human-drilled wells
85
dam
any obstruction placed in stream or river to block flow or water so water can be stored in a reservoir
86
why have wetlands been drained over the years
- seen as useless swamps
- promote settling and farming
87
what can overirrigation lead to
- waterlogging soil
- salinization
- lost of farming income
88
water mining
the withdraw of water faster than it can be replenished
89
what has the depletion of fresh water led to
shortages of fresh water which lead to the potential of conflicts
90
alternative methods for creating fresh water
distillation
- hastens evaporation and condenses the vapor
reverse osmosis
- forces water through membranes to remove filter out solids
91
where does nutrient pollution come from
1. fertilizers
2. farms
3. sewage
4. lawns
5. golf courses
92
solutions to nutrient pollution
1. sewage treatment
2. treating wastewater
3. reduce fertilizer use
4. phosphate-free detergents
93
pathogen and water diseases solutions
- treat sewage
- disinfect drinking water
94
what causes pathogen and water disease pollution
