geo 20 dec exam
Explain the hydrologic cycle.
1. Liquid water evaporates into the atmosphere as a gas known as water vapor. Water vapor is an important part of our atmosphere because it provides humidity, forms clouds, and results in all forms of precipitation.
2. Water is continually in motion, and changes states as it makes its way through the cycle.
3. Surface water evaporates and converts into gas in the atmosphere.
4. In the atmosphere, it condenses to form clouds and precipitation.
5. Rainfall becomes groundwater, but much of it runs off the land into streams, lakes, rivers, etc, and eventually into the ocean.
6. Precipitation in the form of snow usually stays on the ground longer, often for a season or even centuries (glaciers) in cold regions.
7. Ice can evaporate directly into the atmosphere, without having to melt first, in sublimation.
8. When back in the form of surface water, it evaporates again and the cycle repeats.
Why is Manitoba Hydro worried about invasive species?
1. Invasive species are an organism that is not native and has negative effects on the environment or economy.
2. In Manitoba, the invasive species within our lakes and rivers is zebra mussels, which are an invasive species brought to Canada on contaminated cargo ships.
3. Blocking Pipes
4. Manitoba Hydro is worried about zebra mussels because They can block water pipes and systems that bring water to power plants, making it harder to produce electricity.
5. Expenses
6. They cause damage by attaching to dams, pipes, and other equipment, which can lead to expensive repairs. The workers have to spend more time and money getting rid of them.
7. Environment
8. They hurt the environment because zebra mussels take nutrients out of the water, harming fish and other plants and animals that live there.
What issues arise from cities draining aquifers (provide examples from course material)?
1. An aquifer is an underground layer of water-storing rock or soil. It holds water that can be used for drinking, farming, and other needs.
2. Wells can be drilled into aquifers to access the freshwater, but the problem is that they take millenia to fill back up.
3. Mexico City is draining their aquifers because they are experiencing a water crisis, and have to resort to underground water to sustain their citizens.
4. However, Mexico City was built on top of a lake, and the draining of the aquifer is causing the city to sink about 9 inches per year.
5. Damage to Infrastructure
6. Sinking is causing uneven ground, creating damage to infrastructure, like roads, buildings, and pipelines, which causes leaky pipes that lose more of the already scarce water.
7. Risk to human health
8. Damaged sewage systems can contaminate drinking water and get people sick.
Why is it problematic when water intensive crops are grown in desert climates?
1. Water intensive crops are crops that require a large amount of water to cultivate and produce.
2. These are grown in dry climates sometimes because there is a high demand and value for the crops, which makes farmers want to grow them despite the excess amount of water needed.
3. Worsen water shortages
4. Deserts have limited water, and growing crops that need a lot of water depletes already scarce resources.
5. Depletes aquifers
6. Deserts often rely on underground water sources. Overuse for irrigation can drain these aquifers, making it harder to find water in the future.
7. Land degradation
8. Using too much water can dry out the soil, causing it to lose fertility and become more prone to erosion.
Is seawater desalination a sustainable solution for potable water needs?
1. Seawater desalination is the process of removing salts and other minerals from water to make it suitable for human consumption, irrigation, or industrial uses, by reverse osmosis.
2. Reverse osmosis is when water is forced through a semipermeable membrane to separate the salt from the water.
3. Energy Intensive
4. It has a high energy requirement, making the process very expensive, and creating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning.
5. Negative Effects on the Environment
6. It can harm marine and coastal ecosystems, and increases fossil fuel emissions.
7. Produces Brine
8. Brine is the extremely salty output from desalination, which ends up back in the ocean, and the problem is that there is more brine produced than desalinated water.
Identify and explain two Canadian, freshwater legislation (provide examples from course material).
1. Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1988
2. Prevents Pollution
3. Aims to reduce the pollution from industries, waste, and chemicals that are harmful to the environment and human health.
4. Contributes to Sustainable Development
5. Encourages industries to adopt more sustainable practices, regulates hazardous chemicals, and promotes responsible use and disposal of natural resources.
6. Great Lakes Toxic Substances Control Agreement (1986)
7. Environmental agreement between US and Canada to reduce toxic pollutants in the great lakes region.
8. It is mainly the reducing, monitoring, and researching the amount of phosphorus in the great lakes. This protects the health of the people when they prevent the negative effects of certain pollutants.
Why is the Boreal Forest important for freshwater preservation?
1. The boreal forest is one of the largest forests in the world, growing in regions of the northern hemisphere with cold temperatures such as Canada, Russia, Alaska, and Nordic countries.
2. Filters Water
3. The plants and trees in the forest help filter out dirt and pollutants from water, keeping it clean.
4. Recharges Groundwater
5.The forest helps water soak into the ground, refilling underground water sources that we rely on.
6. Stores Carbon
7. By storing carbon, the Boreal Forest helps slow down climate change, which can affect freshwater systems with things like droughts and storms.
8. The wetlands in the forest also store water and trap harmful substances, improving water quality
Explain the Second Growth Forest restoration process.
1. A second growth forest has a large number of trees per hectare, replanted at the same time.
2. The trees being replanted at the same time means that since they are the same size and age, light can’t penetrate through them.
3. Second-growth forests need to be restored so they can mitigate climate change and support biodiversity.
4. Thinning
5. Crowded or unhealthy trees are removed so the others have more space, light, and nutrients to grow.
6. Protection From Harm
7. Stop any activities that might damage the forest, such as logging or development, and remove invasive species.
8. Invasive species are removed because they compete with native species for space and resources.
What is being done around the world to preserve, conserve and restore forests (provide a minimum of two examples from course material)?
1. Forest Regeneration- Philippines
2. Needs to be restored to repair deforestation, soil erosion, and a loss of biodiversity.
3. Economic Benefits
4. Reforested areas can support eco-tourism and sustainable livelihoods.
5. Forest Restoration- India
6. “The Forest Man of India” is credited as a pioneer of reforestation because of his tree-planting. He does this to provide habitats for wildlife suffering from deforestation.
7. Planting Trees
8. The government runs programs to plant trees in deforested areas
Should Canada ban the forestry industry? Explain your reasoning.
1. I think Canada should ban the forestry industry, because forests are important
2. Unsustainable forest management can lead to a simplification of ecosystems and an unprecedented loss of habitats.
3. CO2 Absorption and O2 Release
4. One acre of forest absorbs 6 tons of co2 and puts out 4 tons of oxygen.
5. High Deforestation
6. Half of the world’s forests have been cut down/damaged in the last 8000 years. Half of those losses have occurred in the last 50 years. Canada’s forestry industry is unsustainable.
7. Paper Production
8. Paper production that comes from the forestry industry is the third most energy intensive of all manufacturing industries, and the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the manufacturing sector.
What are the long-term effects of coral bleaching?
1. Industries
2. People who fish, which is one of the largest industries in coastal communities, would lose their jobs because there wouldn’t be enough fish.
3. Habitats & Animals
4. Coral reefs provide habitats for a wide variety of marine life, and when the coral dies, so do a lot of the animals that live there.
5. Tourism
6. Tourism, which depends on the reef’s beauty, would take a hit. Fewer tourists mean less money for businesses that rely on them.
7. Climate Change
8. The reef helps fight climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, so losing it would have global environmental consequences.