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Water Resources

Water Resources. 1. Hydrologic Cycle and Water Reservoirs 2. Floods and Flood Control 3. Use of Water 4. Water Composition 5. Water Problems. Hydrologic Cycle. Distribution of Water (from “ Resources of the Earth ” 1972 data).

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Water Resources

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  1. Water Resources • 1. Hydrologic Cycle and Water Reservoirs • 2. Floods and Flood Control • 3. Use of Water • 4. Water Composition • 5. Water Problems

  2. Hydrologic Cycle

  3. Distribution of Water(from “Resources of the Earth” 1972 data)

  4. Distribution of Waterhttp://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterdistribution.html (1997 data)

  5. Bibliographical Acknowledgment referenced publication for content development Peixoto and Kettani, 1973 The Control of the Water CycleScientific American - Vol. 228 - pp. 46-6

  6. Heat Capacity of Water • This means that water has the ability to absorb and hold heat with a minimal change in temperature • Why? • When water evaporates it takes 540 cal/gm. This means that evaporation creates a cooling effect. • Ice going to water releases 80 cal/gm, thus releasing heat

  7. World water resources http://www.worldmapper.org/

  8. Evaporation (mean annual U.S.) http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/changes/natural/et/

  9. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleevapotranspiration.htmlhttp://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleevapotranspiration.html Evapotranspiration

  10. Mean Annual Evapotranspiration

  11. When ppt >>> e/t • Then we get rivers and streams • Eastern NA—water surplus • Western US—water deficiency • Plays a role in population density in U.S. and Canada

  12. Freshwater Reservoirs • Rivers and Streams • Lakes • Icecaps • Groundwater

  13. Groundwater • Much greater in volume than either lakes or streams • Non-renewable in our lifetime

  14. Water Table • Surface below which pores and fractures of rocks and overburden are water filled

  15. What is an aquifer? • Geologic formation that possesses porosity and permeability

  16. Water Resources • 1. Hydrologic Cycle and Water Reservoirs • 2. Floods and Flood Control • 3. Use of Water • 4. Water Composition • 5. Water Problems

  17. Surface Water/Floods/Flood Control • Surface water is water that flows off the land in streams and rivers • What is it dependent upon??

  18. Amount of precipitation • Slope and Length of drainage basin • Rock and soil type of drainage basin • Vegetation • Extent of impermeable areas

  19. Red River Discharge Hydrograph

  20. When does flooding occur? • When surface run-of exceeds a normal stream channel’s capacity and water spreads out onto the flood plain • Is this a problem?

  21. What do we do to minimize flooding? • 1. build dams • 2. build levees • 3. create channels (channelization) • 4. Moveable dams—Thames

  22. Dams: pro • 1. Do help with flood control • 2. Supply electricity • 3. Provide recreation • 4. Sources of water for irrigation • 5. Increases groundwater • Does anyone see some inconsistency here?

  23. Dams: con • 1. Sediment catchment • 2. Increased evaporation • 3. Loss of land • 4. Interruption of river transport and fish migration • 5. Environmental alteration

  24. Some Dams • Aswan High Dam

  25. Glen Canyon Dam

  26. Hoover Dam

  27. Three Gorges Damhttp://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003400/a003433/#topm

  28. Levees

  29. Channelization • Replacement of a meandering stream by a deeper, straighter channel

  30. Drawbacks • Transfer of flooding • Flood plain doesn’t get new sediment

  31. Kissimmee river in Florida

  32. Drawbacks of Channelization • Increased erosion • Transfer of flooding downstream • Reduced natural filtering of water and drainage basin • Loss of wetlands • Reduction in available water for general use • Less evapotranspiration • Less infiltration • Lower ground water levels • Larger variations in flow rates • Reduction in wildlife

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