TOPIC 4 Flashcards
Precipitation
The release of water from clouds; this is a TRANSFER process and NOT a transformation
measuring water quality
abiotic factors:
-pH levels –> unusual levels can indication pollution, acidifcation, etc
-temperature –> abnormal temp fluctuations can stress/harm aquatic life
-dissolved oxygen –> low dissolved oxygen can lead to hypoxia
-suspended solids (turbidity) –> level of suspended solids (eg sediment, oganic matter, algae), provides insights into sedimentation, erosions, and overall water quality
-metals –> testing for levels such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic –> assess contamination levels –> monitoring metal concentrations helps idenitfy pollution sources and evaluate potential ecological impacts
-nitrates and phosphates –> assess nutrient pollution –> monitoring helps manage nutrient inputs and prevent water quality degradation
Physical water scarcity reasons (2 points)
-The climate in that region is dry and/or the water is being OVER-EXTRACTED for human use, either for domestic, agricultural, or industrial use.
-This may be for INDUSTRIAL USES or IRRIGATION
Abstraction (definition)
Taking water OUT of the water table
What are some improvements to technology in fishing?
-Improvements to boats
-improvements to fishing gear (use of trawler bags)
-detection of fisheries via satellites and sonar
Base of aquatic food chains
Photosynthesis by phytoplankton
Biodegradation of organic material
Uses oxygen which can lead to anoxic conditions and subsequent anaerobic decomposition
EVaporatoin (definition)
Transformation of water liquid to water vapour
Economic water scarcity (definition)
Probably means that physical infrastructure is NOT in place to ensure that CLEAN SAFE WATER is available to the population
ways humans impact the water cycle (4)
-withdrawals
-discharges
-changing the speed and location at which water can flow
-diveriting rivers or sections of rivers
Biotic index
Indirectly measures POLLUTION by assaying the impact on species within the community according their TOLERANCE, DIVERSITY, and RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Surface runoff
Water that flows over the surface of land after melting or precipitation
what does diverting rivers/sections of rivers entail?
-many are diverted away from important areas to avoid flood damage
-some are diverted TOWARDS dams to improve storage
Advection
The wind-blown movement of water (as clouds)
Aquatic pollutants (list of 13)
-Floating debris
-Organic material
-Inorganic plant nutrients (nitrates and phosphates)
-Toxic metals
-Synthetic compounds
-Suspended solids
-Hot water
-Oil
-Radioactive pollution
-Pathogens
-Light
-Noise
-Biological pollutants (invasive species)
factors impacting freshwater availability
-climate change disrupting rain patterns
-low water levels in rivers and streams
-slow water flow in lower courses of rivers results in sedimentation –> river becomes shallower, deltas extend further into sea thus contaminating them with saltwater
-exhaustion of underground aquifers
-pumping rates from aquifers are too fast –> causes cone of exhaustion –> well becomes unusable
-freshwater becomes contaminated and unusable
-irrigation often results in soil degradation because of salinity –> soil is too saline for further agriculture
-fertilisers and pesticides pollute streams and rivers
-industrial release of pollutants into surface water bodies
-industries and electricity plants release warm water into rivers –> holds less oxygen than cold water –> negatively impacts organisms that extract oxygen from water –> species composition is changed
distribution of freshwater (percentages + bonus thing about it)
-0.9% other
-ground water 30.1%
-icecaps/glaciers 68.7%
-generally storages!
Sublimation
The transformation of a solid to a gas (e.g., ice to water vapour)
Testing in aquatic systems (list of 6 things tested)
-pH
-temperature
-suspended solids (turbidity)
-metals
-nitrates
-phosphates
Melting
Transformation of ice/snow to water
strategies for reducing water pollution from farming (5)
-reducing the amount of pesticides and fertiliser used (using the smallest possible amount at the most appropriate time)
-replace chemical fertilisers with organic ones –> nutrient release is slower and more likely to be absorbed
-prevent overspray (e.g., spraying pesticides or fertilisers directly into a stream)
-use highly selectic pesticides instead of a generic pesticide
-use biological control measures (importation of enemy, for example)
estuaries
-partially enclosed coastal body of water where river freshwater mixes with saltwater of sea
-very high productivity
-water levels rise and fall, exposing mudflats
-shallow water
Glaciers (definition)
A slowly-moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles
Stream flow
The flow of water in streams, rivers, and other water channels.
Red tide blooms
Algae bloom that occurs in coastal eutrophication
Transpiration
The process nby which water moves through a aplant and evaporates from the stomata (pores) in the plants’ leaves
what do discharges in water entail?
adding pollutants to water, such as:
-chemicals from agriculture
-fertilisers
-sewage
bioretention areas (definition; 2 points)
-shallow landscaped depressions
- typically underdrained
-rely on engineered soils, enhanced vegetation and filtration to remove pollution and reduce runoff downstream
Dead zones
Found in both oceans and freshwater where there is NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN dissolved in the water to support life
flows in the hydrological cycle (5)
-advection (wind-blown movement)
-flooding
-surface runoff
-infiltration and percolation (water into/through soil and rocks)
-stream flow and current
-evapotranspiration
-condensation
-freezing
Evapotranspiration
The combination of evaporation from the earth’s surface and transpiration from plants
Aquaculture
The FARMING of marine and freshwater species which involes INTERVENTION in the rearing process to enhance production