Earth Science 9 Fruitvale Study Guide

Fruitvale/Water Assessment Study Guide

Use your science notebook & the resources provided on Google Classroom to help you complete the study guide.

Part 1 - Water Cycle 

1. In which part(s) of the water cycle does water enter Earth’s atmosphere?

Evaporation & Transpiration

2. In which part(s) of the water cycle can water enter a surface water body?  

Groundwater flow, Precipitation, Surface Runoff

3.  Label the parts of the water cycle in the diagram below.

1. Evaporation, 2. Condensation, 3. Advection, 4. Precipitation, 5. Surface runoff, 6. Infiltration, 7. Transpiration

4. List the places where water can be found on Earth (Hint: refer to Fruitvale Traveling with a drop of water resource).

rivers, oceans, lakes, organisms, clouds, and glaciers

5. Define the following terms:

Evaporation: Liquid to gas

Condensation: gas to liquid-

Advection: horizontal movement of water vapor (clouds)

Transpiration: Release of water vapor into the atmosphere from plants

Precipitation: Water released from clouds such as rain, sleet, snow, or hail

Infiltration: Movement of water into rock or other earth materials through pore spaces

Surface runoff: Water that flows over land

Part 2 -  Watershed

6. Draw the watershed boundary on the image to the right.

7. Define the following terms:

Watershed: The entire land area that drains into a given river, stream or wetlands

Watershed boundary: Elevated terrain that separates neighboring watersheds

8. What factors affect the amount of water that collects in a watershed?

         The size and locations of the watershed and area climate.

9.  How is it possible for a river or lake to rise multiple feet when a watershed receives 2 inches of rain?

Because all the rain that fell within the watershed will drain into that river or lake. 

Part 3 - Groundwater

10. Label the water table, unsaturated zone and the saturated zone on Figure 2.1. 

11. Explain what would happen to the saturated zone if more wells were added and more water was pumped out.

The saturated zone (and water table) would get lower as more water was removed. 

12. Define the following terms:

Porosity: Amount of space available to hold water

Permeability: The ability for water to pass through the material

13. What is the difference between porosity & permeability?

Porosity is talking about the space available to hold water and permeability is talking about the liquid being able to move through it

14. What do porosity & permeability have in common?

Higher porosity means there is more space for water to move through. 

15. What could cause the water table to rise and become higher?

Above normal precipitation

16. What could cause the water table to lower and eventually run dry?

More wells being built → more water pumped out; Drought

17. Which of the following has the highest porosity? Explain why: 

1. Gravel, because there is more pore space. 

18. Which of the following has the highest permeability? Explain why: 

1. Gravel, because there is more connected space for the liquid to pass through. 

19. Would clay or gravel have a higher porosity? Which one would be more permeable? Explain your answer. 

Gravel would have a higher porosity and permeability because the gravel particles have larger particles leaving more connected space for liquid to pass through while clay has smaller more compact particles making it harder for liquid to pass through. 

20. What is an aquifer? 

Loose earth material or rock zones through which groundwater can collect and easily move through.

21. Which of the materials (sand, clay, gravel) make the best material for an aquifer, and why?

Gravel, because there is more space for water to infiltrate and collect.

22. Explain what you know about the safe concentration of chemicals in groundwater (Hint: Refer to the National Primary Drinking Water Chart and Disappearing Dye Activity).

It is important to be aware of the goal level of concentration of chemicals. If a concentration exceeds the maximum amount allowed then it is going to be harmful. It is different for every chemical. 

23. During your investigation of the mystery of Fruitvale’s water, you looked at point source and non-point source contamination. If a fertilizer was sprayed over a large area, would that be point or non-point source contamination?  

Non-point source contamination

24. What would be an example of point-source contamination?

Leaky chemical storage tank, fuel tank overturned, or anything that is a single, identifiable source of pollution

25. What surface processes could cause the fertilizer to get into the drinking water in the area (refer to the diagram above)?

Surface runoff and then the water could infiltrate into the soil into the groundwater to the well. 

Part 5 - Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

26. The city government for the town you live in is trying to decide where to place a new well. As a concerned citizen with knowledge of the geologic cross section in the area, write a persuasive letter (5-7 sentences) declaring the best location to drill the new well. (State your claim and provide evidence/reasoning including use of vocabulary from the unit).

Answers will vary.