Hydrological Cycle Study Guide
Vocabulary to know:
Freshwater reservoirs Groundwater Inputs Outputs Rivers
Wetlands Stream Aquifer Land use Residence Time
Sustainability Water quality Gradient Zone of Saturation
Zone of Aeration Perched water table Well Spring Recharge zone
Answer the following questions:
1. What are three factors that affect the amount of surface water that seeps into the pores between rock particles?
a. Rock type
b. Land slope
c. Climate
2. List the residence times for each of the following reservoirs.
a. Lakes 50-100 years
b. Rivers 2-6 months
c. Deep Groundwater 10,000 years
d. Shallow Groundwater 100-200 years
3. Why is ground water pollution a difficult problem to contain? Groundwater moves through cracks where it is not filtered.
4. Describe a way in which groundwater is protected from pollution due to human activity.
A steel grate is labeled with a sign indicating that the grate leads to a recharge zone, so pollutants shouldn’t be dumped into the grate.
5. Why has the sustainability of North American aquifers changed in recent history? Widespread over-pumping
6. Name two ways fresh water supplies can be maintained.
a. Conservation
b. Alternative methods of obtaining fresh water
7. Name three factors that affect the local water budget.
a. temperature
b. vegetation
c. rainfall
8. In what way is 90% of water used by cities and industry returned to rivers or the oceans? Wastewater
9. How does a river form? Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration, soil soaks up as much water as it can hold, excess water erodes the land, and eventually a river forms.
10. Name an indirect method of flood control. Soil conservation
11. How does a river’s speed affect its erosive ability? Faster rivers erode the river channel more quickly than slower rivers.
12. Name three direct methods of flood control.
a. Dams
b. Artificial Levees
c. Overflow channels
13. Name the process in which carbonic acid breaks down minerals in rock. Chemical weathering
14. What is are two land features formed by hot water?
a. geysers
b. hot springs
15. For a rock to be considered permeable, what must be true of the open spaces in that rock? They must be connected
16. What is the pollution concern in areas that have a high population density? Road salt
17. What is true of non-point sources of pollution? They are not easily identified.
18. Give an example of a non-point source of pollution. Runoff from lawns, roads, or fields
19. What can farmers do to keep soil erosion and runoff from contaminating nearby streams or rivers? Install buffer strips
20. Why are Volatile Organic Compounds a concern? They can cause cancer
21. Write the numbers on the map that correspond to the locations each of the following bodies of water:
1. Lake Erie 2.Lake Ontario 3. Lake Superior 4. Lake Huron
5. Lake Michigan 6. St. Mary’s River 7. Lake St. Clair 8. Welland Canal
9. St. Clair River 10. Detroit River 11. Niagara Falls