Env Sci Test 2
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37 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 describe the processes of the water cycle | 1.)Evaporation from streams . Transpiration from plants 2.)Condensation (coulds) 3.) Precipitation onto land and sea 4.) Runoff returns to river/ocean 5.) Water is absorbed by soil and into the water table (percolation) |
| Percentage of earth covered in water | 70% |
| How much of the water on Earth is saltwater | 97.5 |
| How much of the water in Earth is freshwater | 2.5 |
| How much of the freshwater is available to humans | Less then 1% |
| How much of the Human Body is comprised of water | 70% |
| describe formation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules | hydrogen bonds are formed because of the polarity between a positive end of a water molecule and negative area of another |
| describe waters high heat capacity | Water can absorb allot of heat without significant change in temperature , this is useful for climate moderating and perspiration to cool the body down |
| Describe waters ability to dissolve many substances | Water is called the universal solvent because almost any substance can we dissolved with in water , which can be very unfortunate due to pollution often being dissolved in water |
| Describe Ice's ability to float on water | Ice is less dense then water , therefore it floats on its surface |
| Describe waters ability to keep warm areas cool during the summer | water can act as a heat absorber, absorbing heat from sunlight in summer, when in land temperatures are normally high and water then resists the temperature change |
| Describe waters ability to warm cold areas during the winter | water which collected greater heat in summer/warmer seasons. wont lose all of that heat very quickly due to its high heat capacity it will take a long time to release that absorbed heat and dispose of it so even though the water is cooling it will help warm the coastal areas for a long time due to its capacity to collect heat |
| Describe waters ability to freeze ice yet keep a body of water below it | so water doesn't start freezing from the bottom to the top due to density it floats.this helps aquatic organisms survive because the body of water inst completely frozen so theyre insulated below the frozen surface not entire body of water. warmer temperatures are bellow the frozen surface. |
| Sequence the worlds use of water from order to greatest to least | Agriculture---Industry--Domestic/Municipal use |
| Asia has the most land under irrigation. Which 3 countries in Asia account for most of it? | China, India and Pakistan |
| Describe the human activities which lead to increased flooding | The construction of Levees may spare an area from flooding but cause i surge in the river ahead . |
| what can be done to control flooding | an/restrict building on flood plains, allow rivers to occupy part of a flood plain in a flood and build small levees at a great distance from the river. |
| Explain the cause of the Mono Lake crisis | Mono Lake had rivers that lead into it and fed it water. This is the only "input". The only natural "ouput" of water is evaporation. Los Angeles started diverting that surface water to other uses, so other time, the Lake's water level greatly decreased by about 14m, it became saltier by a huge amount. |
| Explain the Colorado River Basin Crisis | There's an international agreement with Mexico that severely restricts the use of the river's waters, so Mexico can get enough. People in lower Colorodo take so much water to meet their population demands that the rest is insufficient to meet Mexico's population, as set in that international treaty. As more and more water is used, waters get more and more salty as it goes towards Mexico = problem for Mexico, sometimes it doesnt even reach the ocean. |
| Explain the Ogalala Aquifer Crisis | Farmers were drawing out water from the Aquifer as much as 40 times faster than it could be naturally replaced, because they highly rely on it for agriculture. Eventually the aquifer will drop below the point of where its no longer economically feasible to draw water out. |
| Describe the cause of the situations with the Aral sea | This sea was a major source of fish for food and water for irrigation. Problem: In the 1950s until now, the rivers that fed this inland lake (the "input") were diverted, by the Soviets, for agricultural irrigation of the surrounding desert (for the cotton industry), at the expense of the Aral Sea. Result: The lake shrunk by more than 50% of its volume. The ecosystems of the are were devastated, the fish are gone. The dust blown up from the dry and exposed river beds contains toxins and harming chemicals, causing human disease |
| What is the Nile River dispute | It was previously agreed upon by all nations dependent on the Nile River that the majority of the water would go to Egypt and Sudan , however now several countries along the nile are beginning to construct dams to limit the water going upstream . This could be disastrous as the Nile is Egypts only fresh water source |
| Historically, do consumers pay the full price for he water they consume? | No , people pay for the water directly delivered to them via water bills . However the expenses of acquiring and moving this water are part of annual taxes |
| What are the Pro's of dams | They regulate the flow of water , create a resovoir to be used if their is a drought or low water season . Possible hydro-electric power |
| What are the Cons of dams | Block rich nutrients from the land which are compensated by with expensive fossil fuel fertilizers , block huge quantities of fish from traveling across the river. |
| What are the problems with the desalinization as a source of freshwater | Extremely expensive and uses allot of energy |
| Identify three water conservation measures that can be implemented in agriculture | Leveling farm lands , drip irrigation system , re-using run off water from irrigation |
| Why is it important for individuals to conserve water? What actions can individuals personally take to conserve water? What are the obstacles to these actions? | Today humans are consuming water without concern of the rate of which it is being replenished, and allot is misused and not distributed correctly . eventually unless the world changes its water use we will see several regional conflicts due to water . Individually one can monitor water use and make sure not to waste water , such as closing the tap when brushing your teeth . Closing the shower water when applying shampoo . The only obstacles are the inconveniences of disturbing natural human life |
| How can a raising the price of water and the installation of water meters lead to more efficient use of water. | People will become more careful with their water use to save money , and with water meters people can monitor the use of water monthly and control their use accordingly |
| What economic and social problems could we see with water shortages | Lack of water means less water going to agriculture and irrigation, the major water uses. Less water going to agriculture means less crops that can be produced, this means economic instability because less crops can be used in the market and in a country's economy, exports etc. This is also a problem because less crops grown means more chance of widespread famine, means countries are going to have a conflict over water rights and water ownership to best ensure their crop-safety. |
| Transpiration | the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants |
| Watershed | An area of land from which all the water that does not infiltrate the soil runs to a downhill location |
| Water table | underground surface below which the ground is wholly saturated with water |
| Flood Plain | land that is likely to be underwater during a flood |
| Subsidence | the sinking of regions of the Earth's crust to lower elevations |
| Sustainable Water Use | use of water resources that does not harm the environment and provides for the existence of high-quality water for future generations |
| Distillation | the process of purifying a liquid by boiling it and condensing its vapors |
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