(MIDTERM) PROBLEMS OF THE HYDROSPHERE Flashcards
total amount of water on the planet
hydrosphere
found in lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and watersheds
surface water
As streams and rivers move across the land, they form a flowing network of water called a ____________
rivers system
area of land that is drained by a river
watershed
frozen part of Earth’s hydrosphere is made of ice: ________, ________, & _________
glaciers, ice caps and icebergs
frozen part of the hydrosphere
cryosphere
Water collects in clouds, then falls to Earth in the form of _____ or _____
rain or snow
Water moves through the hydrosphere in a cycle.
Water collects in clouds, then falls to Earth in the form of rain or snow.
This water collects in rivers, lakes and oceans.
Then it evaporates into the atmosphere to start the cycle all over again.
This is called the _________
water cycle
water stored beneath the Earth’s surface in sediment and rock formation
groundwater
As water travels beneath the Earth’s surface, it eventually reaches a level where the rocks and soil are saturated with water.
This level is known as the ________
water table
Just as surface water flows _________, groundwater tends to flow slowly from the peaks of the water table to the valleys.
downhill
An underground formation that contains groundwater
aquifer
forms the upper boundary of an aquifer
water table
Most aquifers consist of materials such as _____, _____, & _____ that have a lot of spaces where water can accumulate.
rock, sand, and gravel
problems in the hydrosphere
- water pollution
- artificial/cultural eutrophication
- thermal pollution
- ocean acidification
can also dissolve rock formations, such as those made of limestone, and fill vast caves with water, which creates underground lakes
groundwater
- important water source for many cities and for agriculture.
- To reach this, surface water must travel down through permeable layers of soil and rock
- Water cannot reach this fromp laces where the aquifer is covered by impermeable materials
aquifers
- area of the Earth’s surface where water percolates down into the aquifer
- environmentally sensitive areas because any pollution in the this zone can also enter the aquifer
recharge zone
hole that is dug or drilled to reach groundwater
well
introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and adversely affect the organisms that depend on the water.
water pollution
two types of sources of water pollution
- point-source pollution
- non-point source pollution
- Pollution discharged from a single source such as a factory, a wastewater treatment plant, or a leaking oil tanker
- identified and traced to a source
- even when the source of pollution is known, enforcing cleanup is sometimes difficult
point-source pollution
- Pollution comes from many different sources that are often difficult to identify
- For example, a river can be polluted by runoff from any of the land in its watershed
- If a farm, a road, or any other land surface in a watershed is polluted, runoff from a rainstorm can carry the pollution into a nearby river, stream, or lake.
nonpoint-source pollution
disease causing organisms (bacteria, virus, protozoa, parasitic worms)
- mostly nonpoint sources
- sewage/animal feces, livestock feedlots, and poultry farms
- sewage from overburdened wastewater treatment plants
pathogens
animal and plant matter remains, feces, food waste, and debris from food-processing plants
- mostly nonpoint sources
organic matter
pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents, gasoline and oil, and other materials made from petroleum
- mostly nonpoint sources
- farms, lawns, golf courses, roads, wastewater, unlined landfills, and leaking underground storage tanks
organic chemicals
acids, bases, salts, and industrial chemicals
- point and nonpoint sources
- industrial waste, road surfaces, wastewater, and polluted precipitation
inorganic chemicals
lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic
- point and nonpoint sources
- industrial discharge, unlined landfills, some household chemicals, and mining processes
- also occur naturally in some groundwater
heavy metals
heat and suspended solids
- point and nonpoint sources
- heat from industrial processes and suspended solids from soil erosion
physical agents
a natural process
eutrophication
The process of ________ uses up oxygen
decomposition
The natural process of eutrophication is accelerated when inorganic plant nutrients, such as ______ & ______, enter the water from sewage and fertilizer runoff.
phosphorus and nitrogen
Eutrophication caused by humans is called __________
artificial /cultural eutrophication
__________ from farms, lawns, and gardens is the largest source of nutrients that cause artificial eutrophication
Fertilizer
__________ in some laundry and dishwashing detergents are another major cause of eutrophication
Phosphates
________ is a plant nutrient that can cause the excessive growth of algae.
In bodies of water polluted by phosphorus, algae can form large floating mats, called _________.
- Phosphorus
- algal blooms
When the temperature of a body of water, such as a lake or stream, increases, __________ can result
- can occur when power plants and other industries use water in their cooling systems and then discharge the warm water into a lake or river
- cause large fish kills if the discharged water is too warm for the fish to survive. But most thermal pollution is subtler.
- thermal pollution
When ___________ is dissolved in seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically important __________ minerals.
- carbon dioxide (CO2)
- calcium carbonate
___________ occurs when CO2 is absorbed into the water at a high rate.
- It reacts with water molecules (H2O) to form carbonic acid (H2CO3).
- This compound then breaks down into a hydrogen ion (H+) and bicarbonate (HCO3-).
- The presence of all these hydrogen ions is what decreases the pH or acidifies the ocean.
- This can be summed up with the chemical equation:
➢ CO2 + H2O ↔ H2CO3
➢ H2CO3 ↔ H+ + HCO3–
➢ H+ + CO32- ↔ HCO3–
Ocean acidification
whitening of diverse invertebrate taxa which results from the loss of symbiotic zooxantheallae and/or reduction in photosynthetic pigment concentration in zooxantheallae residing within (scleractinian) corals.
coral bleaching or coral reef bleaching
DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08
Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards of 2016
- policy of the State to pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters.
- Section 5.0 Classification of _______
- Water Bodies
WATER QUALITY GUIDELINESAND GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS OF 2016
– intended primarily for waters having watersheds, which are uninhabited and/or otherwise declared as protected areas, and which require only approved disinfection to meet the latest PNSDW.
CLASS AA
Public Water Supply Class I
Intended as sources of water supply requiring conventional treatment (coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection) to meet the latest PNSDW.
CLASS A
Public Water Supply Class II
Intended for primary contact recreation (bathing, swimming, etc.).
CLASS B
Recreational Water Class I
- Fishery Water for the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources
- Recreational Water Class II – For boating, fishing, or similar activities
- For agriculture, irrigation, and livestock watering
CLASS C
navigable waters
CLASS D
