enviro 2

Hydrosphere

The amount of water in the oceans has raised because of ice melting due to climate change.

Freshwater depletion

Freshwater sources are being depleted because they are being used up more than they can refill.

Percentage of water on Earth

71% of the world is water.

Percentage of land on Earth

29% of the world is land.

Saltwater percentage

97% of water is salt water.

Freshwater percentage

3% of water is freshwater.

Order of freshwater sources

Surface water, groundwater, glaciers and ice caps.

Accessible freshwater for biosphere

1% of freshwater is accessible for the biosphere.

Watershed

An area of land where all water sources around it flow down to.

Watershed separation

Water on one side of the hill goes one way (into one watershed), and water on the other side goes a different way (into another watershed).

Largest watershed in the US

Mississippi watershed.

Lake Forest High School watershed

Lake Michigan watershed.

Causes of water migration in a watershed

Gravity, runoff, streams and rivers, human activities.

Average American direct water consumption

80-100 gallons of water each day.

Average American indirect water consumption

Around 1,800 - 2,000 gallons of water each day.

Industry that consumes the most water

Agriculture.

Water conservation methods

Take shorter showers, use less water intensive foods and products, fix leaks.

Drinking water source in LF/LB

Lake Michigan.

Point Source Pollution

Pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source like a pipe.

NonPoint Pollution

Pollution that comes from many different, spread out sources.

Groundwater

Water that is beneath the Earth's surface in spaces between soil, rocks, and underground layers.

Layers of the water table

Unsaturated zone (above the water table), water table (separates unsaturated from saturated zone), saturated zone (below the water table).

Porosity

The measure of how much empty space (pores) there is in a material that can hold water.

Permeability

The ability of a material to allow water to pass through it.

Grain influence on porosity and permeability

Grain size and shape affect how much space is between the grains (porosity) and how easily water moves through (permeability).

Groundwater movement causes

Gravity and pressure.

Unconfined aquifer

A layer of water underground that is open to the surface above.

Confined aquifer

A layer of water underground that is trapped between two solid layers of rock or clay.

Contamination plume

A spread of pollution in groundwater.

Groundwater contamination plume drawing

Draw the ground layers, add the source of pollution, draw the plume.

Pollution buoyancy

If it's lighter than water (like oil), it floats on top; if it's heavier than water (like some chemicals or metals), it sinks to the bottom.

Groundwater extraction methods

Wells and pumps.

Unsustainable groundwater use

Over pumping, depletion of aquifers, contamination, reduced surface water flow.