Water Test Flashcards
Where is most of the water on Earth located?
Most of the water is located in saline water or salt water
What reservoir contains most of the usable fresh water?
Groundwater contains most of the usable freshwater.
The middle pie chart says “other 0.9%.” What reservoir do you think most of this water can be found?
The atmosphere
Name three unique qualities of water that are essential to human survival
Water is found in 3 states of matter on earth- solid,liquid and gas
Water expands when it freezes- making ice float
Water has a high heat capacity- It allows heat to transfer from the equator to the poles
Water is transparent- Allows plants and algae to grow in water
Water is a good solvent- Allows chemicals to react in living things
How would it be possible for a molecule of water in the ground in front of school to end up in a cup of coffee in Switzerland?
The molecule would evaporate, then condense and precipitate into a Switzerland treatment plant for coffee.
Name three ways water can enter a lake
Groundwater, precipitate or rainfall,surface runoff
What is the difference between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone? What do we call the line in between the two?
The saturated zone , the spaces in the ground between particles are filled with water. the unsaturated zone is filled with air. The line between the two is called the water table
What happens to the water table as wells remove water from an aquifer faster than it is being replaced? How could this impact people with well water?
The water table drops. It could cause the wells to dry.
How can radioactive material from the damaged Fukushima daiichi power plant end up in tap water in Tokyo, Japan?
Precipitation can pick up the radioactive materials, it infiltrates into the ground, then travels into the aquifer through groundwater flow.
What is the least permiable and the most permiable (Clay,sand,silt,gravel)
Clay- Least permeable (1)
Sand- Third least permeable (3)
Silt- Second least permeable (2)
Gravel-Most permeable (4)
Give three examples of direct water use. How much water does the typical American use directly on a daily basis?
cooking, dishes, washing clothes. 92 gallons for direct
Give three examples of indirect water use? How much water does the typical American use if you add indirect use with direct water use?
Eating food, refining gas, and making clothes. Around 1700 gallons of water indirect
What activity puts the largest demand on freshwater resources in the US?
Agriculture
Why does Texas use a lot of water per person?
There is a lot of ranching/farming.
What process causes water from plants to enter the atmosphere?
Transpiration
What process causes clouds to form?
condensation/deposition
What process causes water in clouds to move from one region to another?
Advection
Name 4 reservoirs in which water is temporarily stored
Ocean, lakes, Ice caps, atmosphere
Explain why water having a high specific heat is important for heat transfer on Earth.
It transfers heat from the tropics towards poles
Why do icebergs float?
Ice is less dense than water due to the fact it expands when increases
What percentage the hydrosphere on Earth is accessible for human use? Name 2 reservoirs where it is located.
1% of the hydrosphere is accessible on earth.Ground water and surface water (lakes,rivers,streams)
Name 2 variables that will determine the amount of accessible fresh water available to humans.
Precipitation, location,demand/population
What is a watershed?
It is an area of land that drains into a specific body of water.Also called a drainage basin
Where does groundwater collect in an aquifer?
In between particles of sand/dirt that make up the ground
How do people typically access water stored in an aquifer?
Through wells
What could cause the water table to rise?
Lots of rain
What type of Earth material would you not want to drill down into for well water?
Clay
Name 2 reasons why a well might run dry
drought, excessive withdrawals
What is desalination? Why would a community utilize this process? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of desalination?
Removing salt from water
It has limited water resources
Advantages- unlimited supply of sea water
Disadvantages-expensive, limited availability
Describe 2 ways that a community supply of groundwater could become threatened.
Contamination, drought
Why does it take about 500 gallons of water to make just one cheeseburger?
You need to feed the cow for its entire life
You need to give the cow water
Process and transport the beef
Describe 2 threats to the water supply in Tokyo, Japan
Huge demand, drought, contamination
Describe some of the threats to the water supply for someone that lives in a village in Kenya.
Contamination, overuse/demand, lack of infrastructure
Describe where Waterford gets its water and what is done to ensure that it is safe
Lake konomoc
The water is filtered
Chlorine is added to kill bacteria and viruses
The water is tested frequently
The pH is adjusted to prevent contamination form pipes
The watershed is protected
