topic 4 - water

Question 1

what are ocean currents driven by?

Answer 1

wind, tide, changes in water density and the rotation of the earth

Question 2

what are the two types of currents

Answer 2

surface (top 10%)
deep ocean currents (90%)

Question 3

what are gyres

Answer 3

big circular surface currents in the middle of oceans, they go clockwise in the north and anti clockwise in the south

Question 4

what is the Coriolis effect

Answer 4

its the earths rotation causing the wind to go in certain directions. the spin of the earth makes things veer off to the side dependent on north or south instead of straight

Question 5

what are surface currents driven by?

Answer 5

wind

Question 6

what are deep ocean currents driven by?

Answer 6

by density differences and changes

Question 7

what is the thermohaline circulation

Answer 7

when colder water sinks because of density and warm water is pulled up from the depths as it gets replaced by the cold water. the warm water brings up things with it

Question 8

what does warm water bring up in the thermohaline circulation

Answer 8

nutrients and decomposed things, called upwelling

Question 9

what is the el nino and la nina?

Answer 9

the changing wind patterns has an effect on the water movements and the equatorial region of the earth, it disturbs the displacement of the warm and cold water

Question 10

where is the most salty water, and why?

Answer 10

salt is not trapped when ice forms as it is more dense so the north is more salty

Question 11

what are invasive species

Answer 11

non native organisms that were introduced in an environment

Question 12

how do non native species negatively impact native species

Answer 12

○ Cause pollution by altering nutrient cycling in ecosystem
○ Out compete native species for resources like sunlight and water
- Example - zebra mussels release heavy metals and PCB’s which is polluting

Question 13

what does light pollution do?

Answer 13

repels fish
stresses coral and disrupts circadian rhythms
alters colours and freqs that animals are used to
disrupts feeding schedules and reproductive cycles

Question 14

what does light polluaiton do to zooplankton

Answer 14

○ They’ll go into the darkness to hide from predators and then go up to feed on phytoplankton and migrate vertically
○ This is dependent on the sun and it can mess up the amount of food other animals get as well

Question 15

what does sound pollution do

Answer 15

temporary or permanent hearing loss
cause panic
ascend too quickly
become disorientated
can cause decompression sickness

Question 16

what can toxic metals do

Answer 16

they arent biodegradable meaning they will last and just build up

Question 17

what are toxic metals?

Answer 17

• Group of persistent organic pollutants and last for years in environment
  
  • Found in geological pharmaceutical, industrial, agricultural and atmospheric

Question 18

what does floating debris do?

Answer 18

• Disturbs the ecosystems natural operation such as recreation and navigation
  
  • Not biodegradable so they accumulate
  • Impact water quality
  • Source of ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of marine species
  • Biggest issue is the volume of it

Question 19

why are organic compounds bad

Answer 19

harm the ecosystem due to human acitivy
all herbicides, and pesticides that run off from farm waste

Question 20

what are inorganic compounds

Answer 20

heavy metals
acids
non metallic salts

Question 21

why is thermal pollution bad

Answer 21

hot water is realsed into rivers and changed the temperature

Question 22

what is cloud seeding

Answer 22

type of water modification that aims to change the amount or type of precipitation
it disperses substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud

Question 23

what are artificial glaciers

Answer 23

ice stupas are made using a simple irrigation system designed to store fresh water for use during arid summer months

Question 24

what is rain water harvesting

Answer 24

• Rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit, aquifer, or reservoir with percolation so that it seeps down and restores the groundwater.

Question 25

why are dams bad?

Answer 25

Expensive
Dams trap sediment which means the reservoir holds less water.
- Destroy habitats
- Increase sea levels
- Can displace poor communities

Question 26

why are dams good

Answer 26

• irrigation
• power / electricity
• Flood control/flow of water
• Drinking water
• Accessible water