enviro water test

why are wetlands important for water quality

• reduce flooding and erosion because they absorb water and release it slowly

• filter toxins from water

positive + negative impacts of dams

-supply electricity without releasing carbon

-sediment pollution, too much evaporation, alters habitats upstream and below stream, possibility of failure, expensive to construct

what is thermal pollution and what is it caused by

change in water temp by human activities

dams (release cold), nuclear power (warm)

remove shade trees

thermal pollution impact

warm water holds less 02, fish and aquatic species can’t handle the changed temp

what is toxic chemical pollution and what is it caused by

petroleum, pesticides, metals (Pb, As, Hg), caused by industry, mining sites, agriculture, homes, and businesses

toxic chemical pollution impact

poisons animals and plants, causes cancer and health problems for humans

what is pathogens and disease pollution and what is it caused by

bacteria (fecal coliform), protists, pathogenic viruses. caused by untreated sewage and animal feedlots

pathogens and disease pollution impact

human health problems (cholera, dysentry, typhoid fever)

what is nutrient pollution and what is it caused by

nitrogen and phosphorous, animal waste and fertilizers

nutrient pollution impacts

causes deadzones

what is biodegradable waste pollution and what is it caused by

human waste, paper pulp, yard waste,

animal farms, paper mills, yard waste

biodegradable waste pollution impact

dead zones

what is sediment pollution and what is it caused by

eroded soil,

clear cutting construction and agriculture

sediment pollution impact

kills fish, dramatically alters aquatic habitats

cultural eutrophication, and what is eutrophication

excess nutrients in waterway caused by human activities

too many nutrients - bacteria uses oxygen up processing these nutrients - not enough 02 for mammals and plants - algae blooms - dead zone

how do biodegradable wastes lead to hypoxic conditions

bacteria breaks down waste, uses up 02, and creates hypoxic or low 02 areas

wetland mitigation

creating new wetlands to make up for the wetland losses associated with development or land use changes

how are floodplains created

areas next to bodies of water that are periodically flooded at different points in time (rivers deposit eroded material in these plains)

why are floodplains important

-filter minerals and sediments out of the water

-great for farming (nutrient rich soil)

-gives wildlife habitat

-refill aquifers with water

drawbacks of aquaculture

disease (can be transferred to wild fish)

cross breeding, compeititon

waste water

rafts for invasive species

feed them other fish - goes against purpose

non point source pollution and examples

too many different sources, no clear cut source (runoff) - storm runoff from a parking lot

point source pollution and examples

identifiable source of pollution (discharge) chemicals from a factory into a stream

aquatic biomes with high biodiversity

coral reeds, estuaries, deep oceans: photic zone, pelagic zone, benthic zone

aquatic biomes with the lowest light

marine benthic zone, deep ocean

main uses for freshwater

agricultural, residential, agricultural

drinking water, laundry

what causes surface currents

winds near coastal areas and ocean oceans

thermohaline circulation

suns radiation is absorbed by the oceans

weather patterns are driven by these currents

thermohaline circulation - moves water, causes currents

driven by density differences in water due to temp and salinity in different parts of the ocean

affects climate

how do currents impact energy distribution

transfer heat energy from the tropics to polar regions, influencing climate

where does El Niño occur

Tradewinds weaken, which lets warm water in the Pacific Ocean to travel eastwards and build up near the South American coast

el nino factors

-warmer sea surface temperatures

more rainfall

upwelling weakens in pacific coast

fewer phytoplankton

what does the alkalinity of a river measure

ability to neutralize acids and bases and maintain a fairly stable ph (20 - 200 ppm)

cod near Newfoundland

overfishing of cod led to a ban- 82% gone- fisherman laid off+ fishing of other species

negative impacts of plastic on aquatic life

ingest - die

rafts can promote invasive species

caught in plastic debris

plastics infiltrate tissues of mammals

oil pollution

what happens on land goes to oceans, most oil comes from land

overfishes has lost

80% of fish stocks

lakes

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

fresh/salt

in land

varies

both

Lilly pads, fish

pollution, cultural eutrophication, agriculture, industrial, development

wetlands

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

freshwater

in land or coasts

varies

photic

ducks, frogs, trees

destruction (removal) over ½

filter toxins from water

streams and rivers

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

freshwater

in land

varies

photic

fish, algae, birds

pollution (agricultural and industrial), daming, development

transports material from land into oceans

estuaries

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

salt and fresh

shores, river meets ocean

varies

photic

grass, low biodiversity of plants , tons of animals

destruction, pollution, development

salt marshes- temperate, mangroves- tropical (filtrate toxins and absorb waves)

interdial zones

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

salt

coast with tides

varies

photic

crabs, kelp

pollution, coastal development

barriers and rocky beach

Ocean pelagic zone

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

salt

open ocean

varies

both

plankton

pollution, overfishing

Coral reefs

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

salt

shallow tropical seas

warm

P

coral starfish fish

destruction (T increase, pH), overfishing, soil erosion, UV up

high biodiversity, coral - poly p and zoozanthea

Marine benthic zone

location

temp

photic or autophotic

plants and animals

human impact

interesting facts

salt

bottom of the ocean

cold

a

worms, crabs

shipwrecks

cold dark, low nutrients

why are sources of freshwater unreliable for some and plentiful for others

unevenly distributed among earth. many high populated areas are poor in water

why do the Colorado, rio grande, nile, and yellow rivers now slow to trickle or dry before reaching their deltas

Irrigation for agriculture because the water is being used and is not being renewed.

why are water tables dropping around the world. what are some negative impacts of falling water tables

We are making more withdrawals than deposits, the balance is shrinking. Subsidence and sinkholes can occur when tables drop

groundwater. why do many scientists consider groundwater pollution a greater problem than surface water pollution.

Groundwater is more difficult to manage because it contains less dissolved oxygen, microbes, minerals, and organic matter than surface water or soil water.

How does a septic system work?

designed to hold wastewater long enough to allow solids to settle to the bottom

how much of earths surface is covered by oceans

71%, 97% of earths water

average salinity of ocean water

3.5 %

how are density, salinity, and temp related in each layer of ocean water

warm water is less dense than cold water

most productive areas of the ocean

photic zone, pelagic zone, benthic zone

how are coral reefs valuable? how are they being degraded?

provide food and shelter for fish and other creatures

coral bleaching - depriving nutrition because of warm sea surface temps, pollutants, and bottom trawling

what is causing the disappearance of mangrove forest and salt marshes

shrimp farming. people developing coastal areas

overfishing harms

extinction of species

harms endangered fish

fish that are caught are smaller and younger

three industrial fishing practices

purse seining + drift netting captures mammals that end up drowning or dying of exposure on a ship

bottom trawling destroys entire benthic ecosystems

upwelling

process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface

marine reserve differs from a marine protected area how

no fishing, MPAS allow fishing

scientists say these reserves can serve as production factories for fish in surrounding areas

bycatch

ontarget species of marine life that are scooped up in fishing nets or on hooks in addition to the target fish

water quality indicators - nitrate

nitrogen is needed for plant growth

less than 5 ppm

too much= excess plant growth + decay - low oxygen levels

water quality indicators - phosphate

high levels- overgrowth, decreased o2

2 ppm

sources- human and animal waste, industrial pollution, agricultural runoff

water quality indicators - fecal coliform

a reliable indicator of sewage or fecal contamination

water quality indicators - turbidity

measure of water clarity

turbid water is caused by suspended colloidal matter (sediments and organic matter)

soil erosion, urban runoff, algae blooms

0-40 jtu

water quality indicators - ph

6.5 -8.2

most organisms have adapted to specific ph levels

affected by industrial waste, agricultural runoff, mine drainage

water quality indicators - temperature

the amount of DO in the water

the rate of photosynthesis, sensitivity of organisms to toxic wastes, parasites, diease

caused by thermal pollution, industrial, and removal of streams

water quality indicators - DO

areas with high levels of Do- healthy +stable

10 ppm

high levels of bacteria are bad for DO

water quality indicators -species diversity

healthy rivers have a variety of species

water quality indicators - hardness

presence of dissolved solids (Mg+Ca)

121-180

water quality indicators - conductivity

ability to pass electric current

150-500

high conductivity can be caused by dissolved solids or chemicals

water quality indicators - BOD

measure of the quantity of DO used by bacteria to break down organic wastes,

dead zones

waste water treatment steps

1. series of screens and settling tanks separate large solid objects and oils that are less dense

-solids are called sludge and turns into fertilizer or goes to landfill

2. bacteria is added to digest organic matter

   air is added to give bacteria oxygen

3. water is disinfected with chlorine or UV light, sometimes filtered with coal and sand

flow rate of water

the volume of fluid flowing through an area each second

groundwater recharge

occurs as precipitation falls on the land surface, infiltrates into soils, and moves through pore spaces down to the water table

most to least water runoff

concrete, gravel, pavers, greenspace

infiltration

the downward entry of water into the soil

Evapotranspiration

water is transferred from land to atmosphere

watershed

an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody

warmer oceans can

dissolve gases from the atmosphere

oceans are

carbon sinks. the colder the ocean = better its ability to dissolve gases.

ocean acidification

co2 reacts with water to create carbonic acid which decreases the pH of the ocean

difficult of animals to make shells (bicarbonate ions react with carbonic acid)

current gyres

large system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and forces created by Earth's rotation. The movement of the world's major ocean gyres helps drive the “ocean conveyor belt.

La Niña

Tradewinds strengthen, pushing warm water away from South America towards Australia. this allows cold water to spread westward (opposite of El Niño)

El Niño

La Niña