Study Notes For Quiz 2 Flashcards
Ecosystem
Must include geology since the litho loft supports a variety if species
Ecology
Study of living organisms and their links and interactions to each other and the non living environment
How do ecosystems work?
Energy flows in and through a system is transformed
Sun > grass > cows > methane
Natural service functions
Systems that produce clean water, air, provide nutrients to plants to increase soil fertility
Balance of an ecosystem
Need change and disturbance and reaction to that
Types of ecosystems
Indigenous, Natural, Human modified, Human Made/Constructed
Keystone Species
Individual species with a strong community effect and disproportionate influence to their abundance
Increasing biodiversity
Diverse habitat with many potential niches, moderate amount of disturbance, presence of harsh environments, relative constant environmental factors, relatively slow evolution, high midi fixation by life, geology
Decrease Biodiversity
Extreme environments in large amounts, extreme or frequent disturbance, fragmented ecosystems, environmental stresses, habitat simplification, exotic or intrusive species that compete with native species, geology that restricts migration of plants/animals
Porosity
Space between solid grains of a sample, measured in percent of total volume
Changing porosity
Cement, fill with smaller grains, consolidate
Permeability
Connectedness of the pores (allows flow through a material) measured in DARCY’S
Primary Openings
Naturally occurring porosity
Secondary Openings
Something had caused more spaces to occur
Water Table
Processes called infiltration causes water table, unsaturated zone, saturated zone, capillary fringe zone
Capillary fringe
Not completely saturated, water can move up or down
Effluent Stream
Intersects water table, recharged by the groundwater, streams get water from water table, perennial streams, discharge water from the water table
Influential Stream
Recharges the water table, loses water to the water table, usually does not flow year round, intermittent stream or ephemeral stream, low precipitation.
Groundwater
Fills the spaces between soil particles and fractured rock underground
Aquifer
Rock with good permeability
Aquitard
Any geologic material that blocks water flow (impermeable)
Spring
Where a perched water table hits an aquitard and makes it move laterally, where the water comes out of the side of a hill
Perched water Tablr
Water table sub sects the subsurface and hits an aquitard, above water table, moves laterally along
Artesian Aquifer
Confined on top and bottom by aquitard
Contour the Water Table
Assume uniform geology unless you have other information, contour as you would surface topography, groundwater flow is at right angles to flow lines
Well Yield
Depends on geologic material, topography, climate
Cone of depression
When water is pumped faster than it can be replenished in a system a local draw down occurs, can change the regional flow of groundwater
Sources of Water Pollution
Can be one time events, continuous, source fed
In 2D: plume, concentration highest in centre as water moves away from source
In 3D: teardrop shape, accurate in real life, density of pollutant influences whether it will float or sink within the saturated zone
Non Point Source
Surface runoff, storm drainage, hydrocarbons, detergents, fertilizers, cause regional ground water pollution
Regional Source
Over fertilization, naturally occurring minerals such as selenite, acid mine drainage from water filled shafts, any regional source can be leached
Hydraulic gradient
Rise/Run
Groundwater Flow
Hydraulic Gradient
Apparent groundwater speed
Distance groundwater will travel over some unit of time, assumes homogeneous subsurface, allows mapping if contamination flow, concentration of contamination typically decreases with distance from source
Hydraulic conductivity
Movement of groundwater is also a function of materials profanity and permeability
Testing Drinking Water
pH, Coliform count, turbidity (sediment in water), taste, total dissolved solids (hardness)
Salt water Incursion
Natural Cause: dropping water table allows influx of salt water
Man-Made: over pumping of water
Subsidence
Sinking or lowering of land surface, may be gradual or very rapid, area may be a few square meters or many square kilometres, multiple causes
Causes of Subsidence
Natural: dissolution of limestone (karst), subsurface slat migration, compaction of sediment, caldera formation
Man-Made: withdrawal of fluids, mind collapse, broken underground pipelines
Karst
Dissolution of primarily limestone by weak carbonic acid
Features: sinkholes, solution valleys, caverns, sprigs & disappearing streams
Forms: Stalactites & Stalagmites (hang tight from ceiling, be mighty to grow from ground), columns, soda straws, bacon slabs, terraces, tufa deposits.
