Exam 15: Freshwater Systems and Resources

Much of the "biosolids" material that is the end product of a wastewater treatment plant is .

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question. -Only about 2.5% of all the water on our planet is fresh water, and _____________.

Sinkholes result from ________________.

The world's largest known aquifer

How can agricultural irrigation practices be altered to decrease loss of fresh water?

Describe the benefits obtained by the creation of artificial wetlands.

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The formation of sinkholes has become a fairly common phenomenon in the state of Florida. Most sinkholes are small, but some sinkholes have led to catastrophic property damage and loss of life. One September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators. Another sinkhole formed just 10 miles from Walt Disney World^® in August 2013, swallowing a 48- unit villa at Summer Bay Resort^®. As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult. -Sinkholes are an extreme and rapid form of ____________.

The Colorado River's water resource allocation is being complicated by ________________

Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas can cause _____________ to move into aquifers, making the water undrinkable.

A septic system is .

"Blue- baby" syndrome is a consequence of excess ________________ in the water supply.

Which of the following will contribute to water conservation?

Xeriscaping can save water by ____________.

One- fifth of Earth's total freshwater supply is in _ .

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The formation of sinkholes has become a fairly common phenomenon in the state of Florida. Most sinkholes are small, but some sinkholes have led to catastrophic property damage and loss of life. One September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators. Another sinkhole formed just 10 miles from Walt Disney World^® in August 2013, swallowing a 48- unit villa at Summer Bay Resort^®. As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult. -One reasonable way to prevent sinkholes might be to _ .

Artificial wetlands .

Recent research that analyzed the content of commercial bottled water indicates that .

Which of the following is one of the major pollutants of groundwater?

Which of the following has contributed to aquifer contamination?

Using the Three Gorges Dam on China's Yangtze River as an example, what are the benefits and costs associated with building dams?