Water Resources Flashcards
6 cards from real Environmental Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Water Resources flashcards as text
Which water treatment process uses chlorine or UV light to kill pathogenic organisms?
Answer: Disinfection
Disinfection is the final treatment stage that eliminates remaining pathogens to make water safe for drinking.
What is the Ogallala Aquifer, and why is it environmentally significant?
Answer: A massive underground water reserve; being depleted faster than replenished
The Ogallala (High Plains) Aquifer underlies 8 Great Plains states and is being depleted by irrigation far faster than natural recharge.
What is water stress, as defined in environmental science?
Answer: When freshwater demand exceeds available supply
Water stress occurs when human demand for freshwater exceeds the available supply in a given region.
Which process in the water cycle returns water to the atmosphere from plant leaves?
Answer: Transpiration
Transpiration is the process by which plants absorb water through roots and release it as water vapor through leaf stomata.
What is the main purpose of riparian buffer zones along waterways?
Answer: To filter runoff and reduce sediment and nutrient loading into streams
Riparian buffers of vegetation along stream banks trap sediment, absorb nutrients, and stabilize streambanks.
Which contaminant, naturally occurring in some well water, has been linked to cancer and is regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act?
Answer: Arsenic
Arsenic occurs naturally in some aquifers and, at elevated concentrations, is a known human carcinogen regulated under the SDWA.