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Hydrologic Cycle
the movement of water through the biosphere
evaporate
the change from a liquid to a gas
Transpiration
Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant
Runoff
water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground
Infiltration
the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil
freshwater
Does not contain any saltwater and can be rivers, lakes, streams,ponds, and wetlands
marine water
salt water
water withdrawal
total amount of water taken from a water body
water consumption
measures only water that is permanently removed from a source
water scarcity
the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region
Groundwater
water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers
zone of saturation
The lower zone where water accumilates between small rock particles.
Aquifer
A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.
confined aquifer
an aquifer surrounded by a layer of impermeable rock or clay that impedes water flow
recharge zones are where
aquifers are regularly recharged by rainfall on ground surface
Ogallala Aquifer
World's largest aquifer; under parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas (the Midwest). Holds enough water to cover the U.S. with 1.5 feet of water. Being depleted for agricultural and urban use.
cone of depression
Excessive water withdrawal can cause a lowering of the water table
saltwater intrusion
an infiltration of salt water in an area where groundwater pressure has been reduced from extensive drilling of wells
subsidence
the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land.
Desalination
the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming
Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA, 1974) set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may have adverse effects on human health
water pollution
the addition of any substance that has a negative effect on water or the living things that depend on the water
Nutrient Pollution (Eutrophication)
The process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive growth of algae.
dead zones (in oceans)
hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world's oceans and large lakes, caused by "excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water.
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose biological wastes into carbon dioxide, water, and minerals.
nonpoint source pollution
pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site
point source pollution
pollution that comes from a specific site
Watershed
An ecosystem where all water runoff drains into a single body of water
Clean Water Act of 1972
Establishes and maintains goals and standards for U.S. water quality and purity. It has been amended several times, most prominently in 1987 to increase controls on toxic pollutants, and in 1990, to more effectively address the hazard of oil spills.
sediment pollution
Excessive amounts of soil particles that enter the water as a result of erosion
industrial waste
Waste from production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture and petroleum extraction and refining
persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
persistent toxicants that bioaccumulate in organisms and travel through air and water to contaminate sites far from their source
endocrine disruptors
chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal's body
thermal pollution
a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity and that has a harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life
major ocean pollutants
oil and plastics
Oil spills
a release of liquid petroleum into the environment due to human activity; a form of pollution
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Major tanker accident in Alaska in 1989, that resulted in a major oil spill in Prince William Sound.
Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Enacted a year after the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound, this law streamlines federal response to oil spills by requiring oil storage facilities and vessels to prepare spill-response plans and provide for their rapid implementation. The law also increases polluters' liability for cleanup costs and damage to natural resources and imposes measures -- including a phaseout of single-hulled tankers -- designed to improve tanker safety and prevent spills.
Deep Water Horizon
April 20, 2010 - Gulf of Mexico; offshore oil rig exploded, burned, and sank -> 11 million workers killed; not capped until July 15, 2010; 210 million gal. of oil, largest spill in US history
how to clean oil spills
booms, skimming, bioremediation, chemical dispersion, burning, vacuums, sorbents
Northern Pacific Trash Vortex
largest collection of plastic pollution in the ocean
wastewater treatment plant
A Facility That Cleans Used Water In Order To Make It Safe To Put Back Into The Public Waterways (Rivers)
primary treatment of sewage
a mechanical process in which large solids are removed by screening and some suspended solids are removed by settlement (sedimentation)
secondary treatment sewage
a biological oxidation process in which the levels of suspended and dissolved organic materials are reduced, i.e. the sewage is decomposed by means of bacteria which use the nutrients from the sewage together with oxygen from the air to break down the sewage
tertiary treatment of sewage
a process involving the removal of phosphorus compounds by precipitation and the removal of nitrogen compounds by biological and ion-exchange methods
Sewer overflow
If a flood, snow melt, or other excess water event occurs, the capacity of a waste water system can be overwhelmed
- Raw sewage may be dumped directly into the nearby water body.
- Occurs approximately 40,000 times a year in the US