Chapter 10 Midterm 2 Flashcards
water (62 cards)
first-order streams
Headwater streams with no upstream tributaries.
watershed
The land area where water collects and eventually empties into a body of water.
wetland
Land areas where soil is seasonally or permanently saturated with water.
estuary
A transition area between the land and sea where freshwater and saltwater intermix.
Mississippi delta
coastal wetland/estuary area
Oceans contain
97% of world’s water
Lakes examples
Great Lakes, Lake Pepin
Where is 69% of Earth’s freshwater stored?
in glaciers in Anarctica (90%), Greenland, Tibet, Washington, Alaska
How do glaciers impact weather patterns?
sunlight reflect off surface of glaciers, disperses into the atmosphere above glacier, warms up parcels of air and alters pressure/wind patterns
If melt completely, darker surface area exposed, absorb much more energy and warm readily
Groundwater makes up
94% of world’s liquid freshwater
How is groundwater a vital resource?
Supports network of connected freshwaters/provides vital source of water for households and industry
zone of aeration
Relatively shallow area of ground made of soil and air. Water percolates down through this zone before reaching the water table.
zone of saturation
Where groundwater resides, underneath the zone of aeration.
water table
The top of the groundwater in the zone of saturation.
Aquifer
accumulation of water in the ground because the water moving downward through soil comes in contact with clay or another nonporous material
Steps of the hydrologic cycle
Percolation of water from above through zone of aeration, moves to zone of saturation, top of this area is water table, when downward movement of water reaches clay or other nonporous material, water accumulates and forms aquifer
Percentages of water in the world
The majority of Earth’s water exists as saltwater in the oceans. Only approximately 3 percent is freshwater, and of this amount over 68 percent is locked in glaciers and ice sheets. Another 30 percent is within the ground, leaving less than 1 percent accessible as surface water in lakes, rivers, and swamps.
Why is water necessary for life?
Animals, plants, fungi, and other taxonomic groups need water to complete their basic metabolic processes
Water footprint is greater than we think because is does not include…
virtual water footprint
What does virtual water footprint include?
manufacturing, growing food, other businesses
How do we make sure aquifers aren’t depleted?
volume, and recharging rate of these aquifers is essential to make sure that the removal of their water does not exceed recharging rates
Bottled water is…
bad for the environment because it increases virtual water footprint
Irrigation is used in
agriculture (most), energy (nuclear, fracking, dams, steam in turbines for power plants), dyeing, bleaching, printing of textiles
Example of water overuse
overuse of Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Ogalla Aquifier
