Ch 11 and 19 Final Exam Review

What has caused fresh water to become one of our most threatened resources?

Pollution and misuse

In what three states may water be found on Earth?

Solid, liquid, gas

Why is water considered to be a renewable resource?

It is circulated in the water cycle.

Fresh water found on Earth’s land.Surface water

The area of land that is drained by a river is known as a _________.

Watershed

The ___________________ system drains water from about 30 states.

Mississippi River

What is interesting about the location of major cities and watersheds?

Most major cities are not built near watersheds. Watersheds are where you can find the most water.

Water beneath the Earth’s surface in sediment and rock formations is called __________.

groundwater

The level at which water saturates rock and soil.

Water table

An underground formation that contains groundwater.

Aquifer

The percentage of the total volume of a rock that has spaces.

porosity

The ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it.

Permeability

Materials such as clay or granite that do not allow the flow of water are _____________.

Impermeable

_____________, located in Siberia near the Mongolian border, is the largest lake in the world. It makes up 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. It would take the water of the 5 great lakes to fill it back up. It is the only lake to support freshwater dolphins.

Lake Baikal

An area of the Earth’s surface from which water percolates down into an aquifer is called a __________.

Recharge zone.

Why are recharge zones environmentally sensitive areas?

Pollution in the recharge zone can enter the aquifer

A hole that is dug to reach water.A well

Why do we dig wells for water?The ground purifies the water as it travels

underground.

What does the phrase “We all live downstream” mean?

When a water supply is polluted or overused, everyone living downstream may be affected.

How many people according to the World Health Organization, lack access to clean water?

1 billion

Water must be treated to make it ________, which means safe to drink.

Potable

Organisms that cause illness or disease.pathogens

A method of providing plants with water from sources other than direct precipitation.

Irrigation

Huge canals built by the romans that brought water from the mountains to their cities.

Aqueducts

A structure built across a river to control the water’s flow.

A dam

An artificial lake formed behind a dam.Reservoir

A system that uses perforated tubing to slowly water plants. The water is directed toward the roots.

Drip Irrigation System

Designing a landscape to use a minimum of water.

xeriscaping

The process of removing salt from salt water.

Desalination

The solid material that remains after water treatment.

Sewage sludge

What is the largest source of nutrients that may cause artificial eutrophication.

Phosphates from detergent, fertilizer from lawns and gardens.

A type of pollution that results from the increase in temperature of water.

Thermal pollution

The buildup of pollutants at higher levels of the food chain.

Biomagnification

A material is __________ if it can be broken down by elements of the natural environment.

biodegradable

Synthetic materials that are not easily broken down by the environment.

Nonbiodegradable materials like plastic and polyester

The waste produced by households and businesses.

Municipal solid waste

What material represents the largest percentage of municipal solid waste?

paper

A permanent waste disposal facility where wastes are put in the ground and covered each day.

Landfill

A liquid that has passed through compacted solid waste in a landfill.

Leachate

Decomposing organic waste in landfills produces ________.

methane

Using an _________ is a possible alternative to landfills.

Incinerator

The process of reusing materials or recovering valuable materials from waste or scrap.

Recycling

A dark brown crumbly material made from decomposed plant and animal matter.

compost

A type of plastic made from the blending of sugars in plants with chemicals in order to make biodegradable plastic.

Green plastic

Any waste that is a risk to the health of humans or other living things.

Hazardous waste