SUPA Earth system science water quiz

how long can you go without water

2-3 days

embedded water

water that is used to produce goods

hydrosphere

all the places that hold water on earth

reservoir

parts of earth where material (such as water) remains for a period of time

what percent of the world is covered in water

70%

residence time

the time a molecule spends in a particular reservoir

what percent of the world’s water is oceans/saltwater

97%

other saltwater makes up what percent of the world’s water

1%

what percent of the world’s water is freshwater

2\.5%

what percent of freshwater is frozen

about 70%

what percent of freshwater is groundwater

30%

what percent of freshwater is usable

0\.4-1%

where is water purified

evaporation and infiltration

what phase change is solid to gas

sublimation

what is evaporation from plants called

evapotranspiration

what are the places with the longest residence times

oceans, groundwater, and frozen

what are the shortest residence time

atmosphere and biosphere water

aquifers

subsurface areas of rock or sediment where water cam accumulate or slowly pass through

lakes and ponds are _____water

surface water

lentic ecosystems

ecosystems with water that is still

lotic ecosystems

ecosystems with flowing water

wetlands are important for biodiversity what do swamps have that marshes don’t

trees

what are estuaries

a mix of salt and freshwater

what happened to flint Michigan

The town of flint drew water from the flint river instead of the Detroit river. The water was more corrosive which caused the lead in the solder of the pipes to leech into the water supply.

Why is lead dangerous

it causes neurologic issues

why would they buy water from Detroit

it was cheaper

why was the water more corrosive/what else had lead

paint and gas

what are the problems with the increased withdrawals from groundwater systems.

the water is being taken faster than it is recharging (water mining), shrinking of rivers and wetlands, saline intrusion (salt pollution), sinking or collapse of the ground surface (subsidence/sinkholes), the land surface lowering.

what does use and diversion cause

diverting surface water upstream can dimmish water downstream

what do impervious surfaces cause

they send water to storm drains rather than ground areas which means no recharge, increased pollution, increased flow rates, and keep water from infiltration meaning it doesn’t get clean

what do dams, reservoirs, canals, and pipelines cause

massive freshwater evaporation, disruption of fish migration, and movement of sediment and eroded material that accumulates in different areas

point source pollution

containments from a clearly identifiable conduit such as a pipe, ditch, channel, or well

nonpoint source

pollutants discharge in a broader more diffuse and less readily identifiable way such as agricultural, residential, and industrial activities.

sediment pollution

most common and occurs when large amounts of loose soil are swept into waterways causing cloudy or turbid waters that reduce light penetration

chemical pollution

caused by chemicals, or agriculture and energy production

biological pollution

caused by cattle and feedlot runoff into freshwater systems as well as biological pathogens

what does agricultural runoff do

causes algal blooms which creates anoxic conditions

what is a water related disease

a disease from drinking unclean water

where does most water go?

most water goes to agricultural irrigation (90% embedded water), then industry, and last residential water use by the public

consumptive water

water is removed and not returned to its source

water conservation and harvesting techniques

water recycling (taking residential water, cleaning it and using it for other things), harvesting dew, desalination plants,

what are the two acts in the United States that protect clean water

Clean water act and safe drinking water act

reasons for water scarcity

decreases in water availability because of dams, privatization of water, and other water diversions.

what are the two different kinds of ocean currents

surface and deep ocean

surface ocean currents

horizontal, transfer heat from warmer to cooler areas, driven by wind belts, affect coastal climates

deep ocean currents

vertical and horizontal, density driven, provides oxygen to deep sea, brings nutrients up

what is the most dense water

4 degrees and salty

wind goes from __ __pressure to ___pressure__

high to low pressure

what are the deep ocean currents

thermohaline circulation, deep ocean circulation, global conveyer belt

where is the most dense water located

off the coast of greenland

rules for main gyres

1. currents don’t cross the equator
2. currents next to each other go the same direction
3. know the gulf stream

how long do deep water circulations take

1000 years

how long do surface currents take

10 years

what is the cryosphere

all of the frozen water

what percent of freshwater is it

2/3- 66%

what percent of all water is it

2%

which causing rising sea levels ice on land (ice sheets and glaciers) or ice in the ocean ( sea ice, iceberg, layers over lake and rivers)

ice on land

why is the cryosphere important

acts as air condition( moderates world temperature), it also provides the world with albedo, its melting is a source of drinking water.

what is permafrost

frozen underground for a few years to hundreds of thousands of years. melting permafrost can release methane and CO2.

what is an ice age

earth’s temp is cold enough to cover large areas with ice

when was the last ice age

26,500 to 20,000 years ago it started 16,000 years ago it ended and it created a lot of the landscapes over the north united states

Coriolis effect

causes deflection in a moving body

where does it deflect in north

right

where does it reflect in south

left

where is Coriolis the max

at the poles

where is there no Coriolis effect

equator

ekman transport

average movement of seawater under influence of wind