NRES 251 Exam 3

Pool

State of water on the planet

Fluxes

how we convert water to other states of matter

Natural Forcing Factors

Climate Events

Anthropogenic Forcing factors

Land Use and Climate Change

% of earth’s surface is water

71%

% of water is saltwater on earth

97.5%

% of water is freshwater

2.5%

Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands

Pools that contain less than 1% of total freshwater on earth, but provide structure for biological organisms

Groundwater

Pool that is located where the soil is saturated

Water Table

Line that separates the saturated and unsaturated zones in soil

Aquifer

Body of groundwater

Glaciers and Ice caps

Pool

% of earth’s ice mass is found in Antarctica

90%

Most Freshwater is?

Frozen in glaciers or snow pack

Majority of ground water on earth is not available for drinking water

True

Sea Level Rise

Water is thermally expanding as climate temperature increases

Threats facing oceans

Over harvesting, Climate Change, and Coastal eutrophication

Coastal Eutrophication

large amounts of nutrients are put into water causing algae bloom lowering oxygen levels

United States Drinking Water

60% lakes and rivers, 40% groundwater, 10-15% private wells

Wisconsin Drinking Water

69% groundwater, 31% lakes and rivers, 25-30% private wells

Sublimation

Process that converts ice and snow directly into vapor

Surface Runoff

Water that is unable to infiltrate soil

Factors of Surface Runoff

Slope, Land Use, Soil structure, OM content, precipitation, water table

Groundwater flow

Groundwater flows slowly downhill based on it’s confining layer

Infiltration

Water seeping into the soil through it’s pores

Influences of Infiltration

Slope, Land Use, Soil Structure, OM content, Precipitation

NET precipitation

Streamflow + Throughfall -Interception

Streamflow (SF)

Channels precipitation directly toward root structure

Throughfall (TF)

passes through the leaf layer before reaching soil

Interception (I)

Evaporated back into the atmosphere

Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge

used to collect and measure rain

Snowfall (SFE)

Measured in inches using a snow board

Condensation

Process that converts water vapor to liquid

Advective Fog (Rolling Fog)

When warm moist air comes in contact with cold land by horizontal movement

Radiative Fog (dew)

When cool calm nights follow warm humid afternoons

Evaporation fog

when a cold front advances onto a lake after a warm day

Cloud Formation

As warm air rises it cools and accumulates moisture

Horton Overland Flow

Precipitation exceeds infiltration rates

Saturation Excess Overland Flow

Precipitation raises the water table to the soil surface

Surface Runoff Outcomes

Flooding, Erosion, Nutrients, Hydrocarbons

Evaporation

Liquid water is converted into water vapor

Transpiration

Release of water vapor by plants

Stoma (pores)

pores on a leaf that open to let carbon dioxide in and water vapor out

Evapotranspiration

Combination of Evaporation and Transpiration

Potential ET (PET)

rough estimation for evapotranspiration rate

ET (Actual ET rate)

True measurement of evapotranspiration

Remote Sensing

Use of satellite imagery to create spectral bands and estimate ET

La Niña

high pressure causes warm dry conditions in southern US, and cold wet conditions in Northern US

El nino

strong Pacific jet stream results in wet cool conditions in southern US, and warm dry conditions in northern US

Anthropogenic Forcing Factors

Land Use, Urbanization, Climate Change

Water Management for Storms and Droughts

Absorb, Store, and slow down water after intense storms

Creating Drought Resistance

Add O.M. and land use practices

Watershed

Plot of land that drains water to a common point

Main Driver of Watersheds

Topography

Ephemeral Stream

Stream that dries up during part of the year

First Order Stream (Primary Headwater)

no permanent drainage

Second Order Stream

Two first order streams confluence together to create a second order stream

Third order stream

Two second order streams confluence together

Discharge

volume of water per unit of time

Hydrograph

discharge of a stream transect over time

Peak Discharge

max discharge achieved after a precipitation event

Lag Time

Time required to reach peak discharge

Stream Discharge

Cross sectional area times Velocity

How deep should you measure stream discharge

60%

Headwater of Watershed

High gradient (slope)

Valleys and outlet of watershed

Low Gradient (slope)

Recurrence Internal

Odds that the given event will be equaled or exceeded in a given year

Impervious Surfaces

Surfaces that allow no infiltration

Negative Agriculture Practices/Affects

Irrigation, Fertilizer, Pesticide, Drain Tile, Runoff

TR-55

Hydrologic model for runoff estimations

Curve number technique

uses land and soil type to predict runoff

Rational Method

Q= Runoff coefficient*Average Rainfall intensity*Drainage area

Flashy Hydrograph

Decreased lag time

High peak discharge and decreased base flow

Urban