Science Unit 5 Lesson 8 Flashcards
Tell me a little bit about floods?
Floods occur when an overflow of water overtakes land that is usually dry. This typically occurs after heavy rains or snowfalls when existing drainage can’t handle the increased amount of water. Hurricanes, large storm waves, and tsunamis can also cause floods.
What impacts do nearly all major foods have?
socioeconomic
What is the definition of socioeconomic?
Relating to a combination of social and economic factor, the people in the communities affected by the flood experience both social and economic consequences.
Even if homes or places of business were spared from the flood, how are they still impacted?
Flooding often causes damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports, communication systems, power plants, and schools. This means that even those whose homes or places of business were spared from the flood still experience socioeconomic impacts. The flow of goods and services into and out of the community may be disrupted for a long period of time
How do floods affect agriculture?
Flooding in agricultural areas can mean loss of crops, livestock, equipment, and structures. Wet fields may make it difficult to harvest a crop or allow cattle to graze. Transportation of supplies to a farm or products from a farm may prove impossible. If agricultural production is severely impacted across a large area, food shortages might result, driving up the prices of particular products.
How can floods bring improvements to a community?
While the amount of money that it takes for a town to recover can climb into the billions of dollars, flood recovery can ultimately result in improvements to a community. Tourism dollars that were lost immediately after a flood might someday be regained by building recreational areas in newly created floodplains. Buildings that are rebuilt or replaced can include improvements that are attractive to homeowners or business owners.
Socioeconomic impacts of flooding might include:
- damage to structures and infrastructure
- damage to land, products, and possessions
- food shortages and increased food prices
- loss of livelihood
- relocation
- disruption of routines and access to goods and services
- Floods can recharge groundwater resources, renew wetlands, distribute sediments and nutrients around the land, and increase fish production.
What is a positive impact to the environment during and after a flood?
Floodwater contains more than just water. On the positive side, it can contain sediment, organic material, and nutrients that nourish the soil, improving plant growth and improving the health of an ecosystem
What is a negative impact to farms durining a flood?
On the negative side, it can contain debris that obstructs shorelines or pollutants that damage fields.
What worry can flood water arise?
One of the biggest concerns is that flooding will degrade water quality and contaminate the drinking supply that a community depends on. Floodwater can overwhelm sewage and water runoff systems.
How do large floods have an impact of wildlife and biodiversity?
Habitats might be altered or washed away. Food supplies might be diminished. Microbial communities and earthworms in the soil might not survive. A disruption at the bottom of a food chain can have impacts all the way up to the top of the food chain.
What is groundwater recharge?
Groundwater recharge refers to the process of water moving down into the soil from surface water to groundwater
How does groundwater recharge occur?
Groundwater recharge occurs in many ways. It happens when rainwater seeps directly into the soil. It also happens when runoff from a freshwater source seeps into the ground.
What is an aquifer?
an area of rock that absorbs and holds water that exists below the water table
Groundwater is the primary way water enters what?
Groundwater recharge is the primary way water enters an aquifer underground.
