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Water and Mineral Resources
Test 3 Knight
70
Geology
Undergraduate 1
11/17/2008

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Cards

Term
Drainage Divide
Definition
is the boundry seperating drainage basins
Term
Watershed/ Drainage Basin
Definition
Contrubutes wate to a paticular stream or river
Term
What is the % of unusable water
Definition
99% is unusable
Term
Type of Resources that are necessay for human life.
Definition

Minerals

Water

Energy

Soils

Air

Term
Renewable Resource
Definition

is a replaceable resource on a human time scale

Food, watermm and energy

Term
Non- Renewable Resource
Definition

"Nature renews them more slowly then we use them"

 

Minerals, Soil, Water, Energy

Term
Resources and Problems
Definition
Explotation of resources results in many being consumed at a rate faster then can be replaced
Term
Resources
Definition
are all those things that are necessary or important to human life and civilization.
Term

Money example of resources and reserves

Definition

RESERVE: Money is your pocket and in the bank

RESOURCE: Potential earningsfor your life time

Term
Reserve
Definition

a portion of a resource which is identified and from which useable materials can be legally and economically extracted.

Term
Where does most of the water we use come from?
Definition

Rivers

Streams

Lakes

Groundwater

Term

What percent of water is in the Oceans and how long does it stay there?

Definition

97% and 1000's of years

Term

What percent of water is in the Atmosphere and how long does it stay there?

Definition
.001% and aprox. 9 days
Term

What percent of water is in the Rivers and Streams and how long does it stay there?

Definition
.0001% and Aprox. 2 weeks
Term

What percent of water is in the Groundwater and how long does it stay there?

Definition
.31% and aprox. 100's - 1000's of years
Term

What percent of water is in the Lakes and how long does it stay there?

Definition
.009% and aprox. 10's of years
Term

What percent of water is in the Ice caps and glaciers and how long does it stay there?

Definition
2.15% and aprox. 10,000's of years
Term
Residence Time
Definition

Amount of time a drop of water spends in "oceans, lakes ect"

 

This is effects pollution because if groundwater is contaminated it will be that way for 100's or 1000s of years

Term
What is the primary souce for usable water?
Definition
Groundwater
Term
Groundwater
Definition
Fresh water found benith the earth's surface in openings in soil and rock.
Term

How does water gets in to the ground?

Definition
Infiltration of rainwater and it recharges from lakes and rivers.
Term
What are the two major zones of groundwater?
Definition

Vadose zone and the zone of Saturation

Term
Vadone Zone or Zone of Aeration
Definition

All earth materials above the water table.

 

This is where water moves through to get to aquifers and the saturated zones.

 

Is an early warning day to pollutants that will enter the saturated zone

Term

Zone of Saturation

Definition

Zone below the water table where all spaces between grains in soil or rock is filled with water and is literally saturated.

 

Where true groundwater flow occurs.

Term
Water Table
Definition

The boundy or surface between the Vadose Zone and the Zone of Saturation.

 

Includes:

Soil, alluvium, and rock

Term

What are the 5 main factors that influence the rate of infiltration.

Definition

Topography

Soil and Rock type

Amount and Intensity of Persipitation

Vegitation

Land Use

Term
Aquifer
Definition
Earth material such as sand, gravels, and fractured rock capable of supplying groundwater at a useful rate from a well.
Term
Confining layer
Definition

layers that restrict groundwater flow.

 

EX. Clay and Shale

Term
Unconfined Aquifer
Definition
Is an aquifer with no confining layer above it restricting the upper surface of the zone of saturation.
Term
Confined Aquifer
Definition
Aquifer with a confing layer of clay or shale.
Term

Perched Water Table

Definition

a water table where water is temporarily trapped on top of a confining layer and produces a spring.

Term
Artesian Well
Definition

water in a confined aquifer under pressure will rise to the height of the water table in the recharge zone

 

Term
Groundwater recharge
Definition
is any process that adds water to the aquifer
Term
How does a spring form?
Definition
It forms when water flowing in an aquifer intersects the Earth's surface.
Term

Rate and Direction of groundwater flow depends on what two things?

Definition
Hydraulic Gradient and Hydraulic conductivity
Term
Hydraulic Gradient
Definition
Slope of water table for an unconfined aquifer
Term
Hydraulic conductivity
Definition

The ability of a material to allow water to move through it

 

Measured as cubic meters per day through a cross section of 1 meter or m/day

 

Depends on the grain size and porosity of an aquifer

Term

Rate groundwater flow

(math)

Definition
proportional to the hydraulic gradient time the hydraulic conductivity.
Term

The Hydraulic Conductivity of Clay is it low or high?

Definition
Low because athough it is very porous, the pores are small.
Term
Karst
Definition

is a special type of landscape that is formed when ground water that is sligtly acidic dissolves soluble rocks, including limestone and dolomite.

 

40% of groundwater used for drinking comes from karst aquifers

Term
What are some natural features of a karst lanscape?
Definition

Caves

Springs

Sinkholes

Solution Valleys

Sinking Creeks

Term
Water Problems associated with Overextraction of Groundwater
Definition

Depression of Water Table

Salt water invasion

Ground Subsidence

Term

Water Problems

(2 main Types)

Definition

Overeextraction of Groundwater

Water Pollution

Term
Water problems associated with water pollution?
Definition

Water pollutants

Pollution problems

Term
Cone of Depression
Definition

Extraction of groundwater leads to a cone-shaped depression in the water table surface

 

Over pumping an aquifer causes the water table to drop deeper within the earth

Term
If extraction is greater then recharge it can cause groundwater to what?
Definition
Reverse its flow and contaminate previously clean wells
Term
Salt Water Invasion
Definition

Where the fresh water table meets saltwater at the ocean, overpumping can draw the saltwater inland, contaminating the water table.

 

Due to overpumping or mining ground water.

Term
What two places do pollutants enter a body of water?
Definition

Point Source

Nonpoint Source

Term
Point Source
Definition

Sewage treatment plant discharching into a river

 

Discete and Confined

 

Generally are from industries and controlled through onsite treatments

Term
Nonpoint Source
Definition
  • Fertilizers from farm fields entering along chesapeake bay 
  •  influenced by land use, climate, hydrology, topography, geology and natural vegitation.
  • difficult to control and are generally associated with agriculture, forestry, or mining.
Term

The Clean Water Act (1972)

Definition
Regulated by the Enviormental Protection Agency, regulates the discharges of pollutants into waters of the US
Term

The Safe Drinking Water Act (1972)

 

Definition
regulates 83 substances and their MLC (maximum containment level)
Term
Organic Water Pollutants
Definition

Decaying organic matter removes oxygen from water

 

This results in the killing of animals that live in the water

Term
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Definition
is the amount of oxygen required for the biochemical decomposition of organic matter
Term
Organic Matter comes from 3 places they are?
Definition

Natural sources such as leaves and insect poop

 

Agricultural activities

 

Urban Sewage

Term
Microorganism water pollutants
Definition

disease carrying microorganisms such as cholera, typhoid fever and hepititis A

 

Term
Nutrient water pollutants
Definition
nonpoint source nutrients nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizers, detergents, and sewage-treatment plants leads to cultural eutrophication
Term
Eutrophication
Definition

is the rapid increase in algal material in lakes and streams.

 

Blocks out sunlight and uses up oxygen on the bottom.

Term
Thermal water pollutants
Definition

is the artificial heating of waters, primarily by hot water emmisions from industrial operations and power plants.

 

Heated water carries less oxygen and can result in animal kills

Term
Downhill Drainage Pollution
Definition
Pollutants that enter the groundwater table will follow the ground water down slope perpendicular to the flow lines of the water table.
Term

Sanitary Landfills

Definition
are landfills that regulate the trash stream that enters the land fill and carefully control and clean the leachate
Term
Leachate
Definition
Contaminated fluids that leave the landfill  and may contaminate water supplies
Term
Mineral Resources
Definition
All the elements, chemical compounds, minerals, and rocks that we exploit
Term
Stone
Definition

Most abundantly used mineral material; usually cut and blased from quarries

 

Used in building

Term

Sand and Gravel

Definition

Obtained from sediment deposits of present-day or acient river channels or alluvial fans

 

Very Cheap and Plentiful

 

Used for road construction and aggrgate in concrete and making glass

Term
Glass
Definition
  • noncrystalline
  • principle component is quartz
  • SiO2
  • Melting Silica and other ingridients at very high tempertures creates glass
Term
Typical glass formula
Definition

Sand + Soda + Lime

 

Sand + Na2O +CaO

Term

Cement

Definition

A chemical binder made cheifly of limestone.

 

cement + sand = Mortar

 

cement + sand + gravel = Concrete

Term
Clay
Definition

1. Any particles  smaller then 1/256 mm in size

2. Clay minerals sheet silicates

 

Forms from the chemical weathering of feldspars (granite)

 

Term
Kaolinite
Definition
very white clay used to make fine china and filter for glossy paper and anti diarrheal drugs
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