freshwater & saltwater systems

fresh water

water that contains insignificant amounts of salts, as in rivers and lakes

Salt water

water that contains dissolved salts and other minerals

Vital

necessary or essential to life

water quantity

the amount of water

water quality

how good the water is

Glacier

a large ice mass that moves slowly down a mountain or over land

ice cap

a mass of ice and snow that permanently covers a large area of land (e.g., the polar regions or a mountain peak)

ice field

a large area of ice that feeds a glacier

valley glacier

a long, narrow glacier that forms when snow and ice build up in a mountain valley

continental glacier

an enormous body of ice that covers a significant part of a large landmass

icefall

occurs when a glacier flows over a cliff, similar to a water fall

crevasse

A deep crack or fissure in the ice of a glacier.

how much of Earth's water is fresh water?

3%

how much of Earth's water is salt water?

97%

how much of Earth's fresh water is frozen in glaciers and ice sheets?

2.15%

How much of Earth's water is ground water?

0.63%

How much of Earth's water is in rivers, lakes and ponds?

0.02%

Why is it important to take care of our water supply?

there is very little fresh water that can be used for drinking water

how does snowfall turn into a glacier?

over time the layers of snow become compressed and form ice. The ice then starts to flow or move

toe

the end of the glacier that is furthest down hill. You look at it to determine if a glacier is advancing or retreating

what is an advancing glacier?

a glacier that is moving downhill, the toe continuously moves down the slope. It flows faster than it melts

what is a retreating glacier?

a glacier that appears to be moving uphill, the toe continuously rises up the hill. It melts faster than it flows

ice berg

large chunks of ice that break from a glacier and float in the ocean

what does it mean when an ice berg calves?

it breaks apart to form 2 or more ice bergs

ice pack

a thin sheet of ice that breaks easily, no more than 5m thick

how are rocks broken by glaciers?

ice melts and flows in, when the water freezes again it expands and cracks the rock

how are rocks carried by glaciers?

they are split and brocken then lifted out by the glacier until they are deposited elsewhere

striations

parallel scratches or scars left behind from glaciers

what evidence will you see of a Valley glacier?

bowl shaped basins and peaks

How is a basin from a glacier different from a basin formed by a river?

a glacier basin is shaped like a U, a river basin is shaped like a V

till

boulders, sand, clay and silt dropped by a glacier

moraine

a ridge of material left behind by a glacier, looks like it has been pushed up by a tractor or bulldozer, found at the toe of a glacier

outwash

material/sediment left behind by the meltwater of a glacier

esker

a ridge of material left behind by a glacier similar to a moraine, but this is left under the glacier and looks like a raised river or stream.

what are the 2 ways we find fresh water?

groundwater and surface water

ground water

water found underground

surface water

water found in lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, etc

what is the difference between a lake and a pond?

in a pond, sunlight can read the bottom

clarity

how clear the water is. Depends on the amount of matter suspended in the water

wetland

an area saturated with water all year round, provides habitat for many animals

streams and rivers

fast flowing water

what are the characteristics used to describe rivers and streams?

speed, temperature, clarity, bank type and bottom type

why does fast flowing water have more oxygen?

water dissolves as it flows through rapids or plunges over waterfalls, the faster it flows the more oxygen can dissolve

watershed

the area of land that drains into a body of water such as a river or lake

run-off

water that flows across land

headwater

where a watershed starts (upstream)

outflow

the end point of a watershed

distillation

a process used to separate dissolved solids from a liquid, which is boiled to produce a vapor that is then condensed into a liquid

reverse osmosis

a device that forces water, under pressure, against a fine membrane to remove minute particles of contaminants

water softening

process in which hard water is treated in order to remove the calcium ions through sand filtration, Calgon treatment or through a ion-exchange resin

what are the 3 ways that contaminated water can be purified?

reverse osmosis, distillation, water softening

hard water

water that contains salts (as calcium and magnesium ions) that limit the formation of lather with soap

soft water

water that is relatively free of minerals

acidity

pH values below 7

heavy metals

metals with a density at least five times greater than that of water that cause disease in marine animals. lead, mercury, and cadmium

nitrogen and phosphorous

chemicals found in fertilizers and sewage that promote algae growth, which affects water by increasing the bacteria population and decreasing the oxygen concentration

pesticides

chemicals used to kill pests. They can build up in a food chain and damage populations of plants and animals

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB's)

used as a coolant in air-conditioning units and in transformers and capacitors for electrical systems. Linked to skin conditions such as rashes and to liver damage in humans.

salts

sodium chloride and magnesium sulfide, in the water they live in. As the concentration increases, organisms begin to die off

biological markers

microscopic organisms present in water systems that can yield information about the health of those systems

leaching

When water dissolves minerals or other chemical compounds from soil or rock, and transports them down into the ground

water intakes

where cities and town get their water from

what are the 8 things that contribute to water qualtiy?

Dissolved oxygen, Acidity, Heavy metals

Nitrogen and Phosphorous, Pesticides, Salts, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Biological Markers

eroding

the process of wearing or washing away slowly

redeposit

to leave sediment from one place in another place

sediment

loose materials, such as rock fragments,mineral grains, and the remains of once-living plants and animals, that have been moved by wind, water, ice, or gravity.

long shore current

the currents flow parallel to the shore and move large amounts of sediment along the shore

tide

the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

spring tide

When the tidal range is greatest. (full moon and new moon)

neap tide

the tide with the least difference between consecutive low and high tides

tidal range

the difference in levels of ocean water at high tide and low tide

why can one beach be sandy and another rocky?

it depends on the shape of the shoreline (how waves hit the shore) and the type of rock in the area

what are 2 things that cause sea shores to erode?

waves and chemical processes

what are sandy beaches made of?

rock fragments, minerals, seashells, coral

what causes tides?

the gravitational pull of the moon

why are some tidal ranges small and others very large?

because of the shape of the bay. A long skinny bay will have a large tidal range, a large bowl shaped bay will have a small tidal range

current

an ocean movement; a large stream of water that flows in the ocean

surface current

a horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that occurs at or near the ocean's surface

trade winds

prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30 degrees latitude to the equator in both hemispheres

westerly winds

in temperate zones (e.g. near the Canada-U.S. border), winds blowing from the west that drive ocean currents eastward

aquatic

growing or living in or on water

habitat

place where an organism lives

adaptation

inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival

what are 3 ways organisms have adapted to breating in water?

gills, gather water at the surface or specialized organs

What are 2 ways organisms have adapted to living in fast moving water?

tuck themselves into cracks, specail appendages such as suction cup-like feet

how have animals adapted to moving in water?

they streamline themselves for less water resistance

how do marine animals find food?

chase it down and catch it or filter it out of the water

what are the 2 types of aquatic plants?

attached and floating

what are 4 things aquatic plants and animals need to adapt to?

nutrients (food in the water), temperataure, light, changes in the environment