Envi Sci Global Distribution/Surface Water/Water Quality Parameters

Percentage of our planet is covered in water

71%

Percentage of water is part of the oceans

97.14%

Percentage of water is freshwater

2.59%

List freshwater sources from most water to least

ice caps/glaciers, groundwater, lakes, soil moisture, atmosphere, rivers, biota

3 types of water

freshwater, brackish, and salt

where is surface water stored

in lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands

watershed

a defining boundary where water will go

types of precipitation measurements

rain gauge (cylinder), snow pillow (measure at depth), stream gauge (calculates discharge)

floods are _ and increase after storms

temporal/seasonal

floodplains

land adjacent to rivers prone to flooding

flood ratio frequency

100 year floodplain (floods around once every 100 years) = 1/100 chance of flooding every year

how do floods benefit the environment

they deposit nutrients and floodplain vegetation provides habitat for wildlife

how have humans increased flood potential

paving over land which creates runoff rather than infiltration which means less groundwater and streams dry in the summer

water quality parameters

physical or chemical indicators of water quality, used to assess whether water is polluted

water quality parameter units

parts per thousand (ppt), parts per million (ppm) and is equal to mg/L, parts per billion (ppb)

what affects water quality parameters

temperature, DO, nutrients, pH, and buffering capacity

temperature

warm water=cant hold as much oxygen so affects gases dissolved in water, rate of reactions and metabolism

DO

amounts of DO impacts which organisms can survive and is measured in ppm and percent saturation (how much DO does water have relative to how much it can have)

random fact about DO

as altitude goes up = can contain less DO, as altitude goes down = can contain more DO

Nutrients

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, if a small amount = plant/algae growth limited, if a large amount = production extreme

pH

pH = 7 neutral, pH > 7 basic, pH < 7 acidic, logarithmic = each unit is to times greater than the previous, exponents of H+ and OH- = -14, exponent of H+ = absolute value of pH

pH measured

indicators like dipstick or pH meters

Buffering Capacity

ability of a water to resist changes in pH, high buffering capacity can withstand addition of large amounts of acids before the pH lowers