Unit 5+6: Mineralogical Health Hazards + Hydrologic Cycle (1)

Asbestos Hazards

1. Asbestosis - scarring and reduced lung capacity

2. Lung cancer

3. Mesothelioma

Asbestos

a group of metamorphic silicate minerals that have a fibrous crystal form

Asbestos Attributes

1. heat resistant

2. high tensile strength

3. flexible

4. chemically stable

Asbestos Uses

1. insulation (pipes and furnaces)

2. floor & ceiling tiles

3. Brake and clutch linings

4. Cements, plaster, and caulking

Common Asbestos minerals

1. chrysolite (95%, white)

2. amosite (brown, hazard)

3. crocidolite (blue, hazard)

4. erionite (dirt)

Abatement

asbestos removal

Radon

spontaneous nuclear decay of heavy elements (#>83) which release alpha, beta, or gamma radiation

Radon origin

uranium

Radon access

foundation fractures, groundwater, and fireplaces

Radon hazard assessment

1. regional sources

2. routine testing

3. remediation (sub slab extraction)

Hydrologic Cycle

The cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff

Drainage Basin (watershed)

the land that contributes water to a channel from upstream

Drainage divide

topographic boundary of a watershed

River hydrology and flood potential

depends on how much water gets from the landscape to the river channel and how fast it gets there

Landscape (Hillslope) Hydrology Flow Paths

1. Groundwater (slow)

2. Throughflow (faster)

3. Overland Flow = runoff (fastest)

Flow Path & Rate determinants

1. Watershed Characteristics

2. Precipitation Characteristics

3. Land Use Changes

Watershed (Spatial) Characteristics

topography, infiltration capacity, and climate and vegetation

Precipitation (Temporal) Characteristics

intensity, duration, seasonality, and timing (antecedent soil moisture)

Land Use Changes

agriculture (herbicides and vegetation), loss of wetlands, and urbanization

River hydrology

Flooding occurs when river

discharge exceeds the channel's capacity to convey the flow

River discharge (Q)

volume of water flowing through a river channel

Q equation

volume of river flowing divided by unit of time = cfs

Rating curve

form of interpolation of river discharge