Study Notes For Quiz 2

Question 0

Ecosystem

Answer 0

Must include geology since the litho loft supports a variety if species

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

Study of living organisms and their links and interactions to each other and the non living environment

Question 2

How do ecosystems work?

Answer 2

Energy flows in and through a system is transformed

Sun > grass > cows > methane

Question 3

Natural service functions

Answer 3

Systems that produce clean water, air, provide nutrients to plants to increase soil fertility

Question 4

Balance of an ecosystem

Answer 4

Need change and disturbance and reaction to that

Question 5

Types of ecosystems

Answer 5

Indigenous, Natural, Human modified, Human Made/Constructed

Question 6

Keystone Species

Answer 6

Individual species with a strong community effect and disproportionate influence to their abundance

Question 7

Increasing biodiversity

Answer 7

Diverse habitat with many potential niches, moderate amount of disturbance, presence of harsh environments, relative constant environmental factors, relatively slow evolution, high midi fixation by life, geology

Question 8

Decrease Biodiversity

Answer 8

Extreme environments in large amounts, extreme or frequent disturbance, fragmented ecosystems, environmental stresses, habitat simplification, exotic or intrusive species that compete with native species, geology that restricts migration of plants/animals

Question 9

Porosity

Answer 9

Space between solid grains of a sample, measured in percent of total volume

Question 10

Changing porosity

Answer 10

Cement, fill with smaller grains, consolidate

Question 11

Permeability

Answer 11

Connectedness of the pores (allows flow through a material) measured in DARCY’S

Question 12

Primary Openings

Answer 12

Naturally occurring porosity

Question 13

Secondary Openings

Answer 13

Something had caused more spaces to occur

Question 14

Water Table

Answer 14

Processes called infiltration causes water table, unsaturated zone, saturated zone, capillary fringe zone

Question 15

Capillary fringe

Answer 15

Not completely saturated, water can move up or down

Question 16

Effluent Stream

Answer 16

Intersects water table, recharged by the groundwater, streams get water from water table, perennial streams, discharge water from the water table

Question 17

Influential Stream

Answer 17

Recharges the water table, loses water to the water table, usually does not flow year round, intermittent stream or ephemeral stream, low precipitation.

Question 18

Groundwater

Answer 18

Fills the spaces between soil particles and fractured rock underground

Question 19

Aquifer

Answer 19

Rock with good permeability

Question 20

Aquitard

Answer 20

Any geologic material that blocks water flow (impermeable)

Question 21

Spring

Answer 21

Where a perched water table hits an aquitard and makes it move laterally, where the water comes out of the side of a hill

Question 22

Perched water Tablr

Answer 22

Water table sub sects the subsurface and hits an aquitard, above water table, moves laterally along

Question 23

Artesian Aquifer

Answer 23

Confined on top and bottom by aquitard

Question 24

Contour the Water Table

Answer 24

Assume uniform geology unless you have other information, contour as you would surface topography, groundwater flow is at right angles to flow lines

Question 25

Well Yield

Answer 25

Depends on geologic material, topography, climate

Question 26

Cone of depression

Answer 26

When water is pumped faster than it can be replenished in a system a local draw down occurs, can change the regional flow of groundwater

Question 27

Sources of Water Pollution

Answer 27

Can be one time events, continuous, source fed In 2D: plume, concentration highest in centre as water moves away from source In 3D: teardrop shape, accurate in real life, density of pollutant influences whether it will float or sink within the saturated zone

Question 28

Non Point Source

Answer 28

Surface runoff, storm drainage, hydrocarbons, detergents, fertilizers, cause regional ground water pollution

Question 29

Regional Source

Answer 29

Over fertilization, naturally occurring minerals such as selenite, acid mine drainage from water filled shafts, any regional source can be leached

Question 30

Hydraulic gradient

Answer 30

Rise/Run

Question 31

Groundwater Flow

Answer 31

Hydraulic Gradient

Question 32

Apparent groundwater speed

Answer 32

Distance groundwater will travel over some unit of time, assumes homogeneous subsurface, allows mapping if contamination flow, concentration of contamination typically decreases with distance from source

Question 33

Hydraulic conductivity

Answer 33

Movement of groundwater is also a function of materials profanity and permeability

Question 34

Testing Drinking Water

Answer 34

pH, Coliform count, turbidity (sediment in water), taste, total dissolved solids (hardness)

Question 35

Salt water Incursion

Answer 35

Natural Cause: dropping water table allows influx of salt water Man-Made: over pumping of water

Question 36

Subsidence

Answer 36

Sinking or lowering of land surface, may be gradual or very rapid, area may be a few square meters or many square kilometres, multiple causes

Question 37

Causes of Subsidence

Answer 37

Natural: dissolution of limestone (karst), subsurface slat migration, compaction of sediment, caldera formation Man-Made: withdrawal of fluids, mind collapse, broken underground pipelines

Question 38

Karst

Answer 38

Dissolution of primarily limestone by weak carbonic acid Features: sinkholes, solution valleys, caverns, sprigs & disappearing streams Forms: Stalactites & Stalagmites (hang tight from ceiling, be mighty to grow from ground), columns, soda straws, bacon slabs, terraces, tufa deposits.