1. Unit V Earth Systems & Resources

2. Water Resources Properties of Water –2 parts Hydrogen and 1 part Oxygen (H 2 O) –Water is never completely pure in nature. Many substances water dissolves and causes water pollution Contents of Sea Water

3. Hydrologic Cycle The same water has been recycled through the atmosphere since the earth’s beginning! Evaporation Condensation Precipitation

4. Hydrologic Cycle Transpiration Respiration/Perspiration A drop of water could spend as little as 9 days in the atmosphere or as much as 40,000 years in the ocean before being recycled.

6. Distribution of Water Ocean Water –97.5% of planet’s water Cover 75% of the planet’s surface Freshwater –Remaining 3% divided between rivers, lakes, groundwater, aquifers –greatest amount is in glaciers and polar ice –only ~0.5% is available freshwater

7. Water Terminolgy Surface Water Runoff Watershed (drainage basin) Groundwater Aquifer

8. Aquifers

9. Water Bodies Rivers Lakes Seas Oceans –Can you name all 5 oceans?

10. Water Supply Issues 3 basic categories: –Too much water –Too little water –Poor quality/contamination of water Balanced water budgets have equal amounts of water coming in as going out in all locations. Situations Create Changes

11. Water Usage Water Uses –World Uses Irrigation ~ Energy ~ Domestic Use ~

12. Too Much Water! Flooding –Both natural and human induced

13. Too Little Water Causes: Aquifer depletion:

14. Problems in US Overall, US has plentiful water

15. Problems in US Water shortages in West and Southwest Mono Lake (Eastern CA) Colorado River Basin

16. Aquifer Depletion

17. Ogallala Aquifer

18. Global Problems Water Budgets aren’t Balanced! –Climate Change –Drinking Water

19. Global Problems – Population Growth – Sharing Water Resources

21. Dams & Reservoirs Benefits: Disadvantages

22. Dams & Reservoirs Disadvantages

23. Water Diversion Projects Water diverted to areas deficient – California Aqueduct Project

24. Other Water Supplies Desalinization –Removal of salt from sea water –Two methods: – Distillation – Reverse Osmosis –Very Expensive Cloud Seeding –Saturation of existing clouds to promote rain.

25. Irrigation Issues Irrigation is largest user of water in the world. Gravity Flow Center Pivot

26. Irrigation Issues Drip Irrigation

27. Water Conservation Reduction of Industrial Water Waste Reduction of Municipal Water Waste

28. Soil Resources Soil –Controls the distribution of rainfall, regulates biological activity, and filters water, air, and nutrients. –Soil Forming Factors

29. Soil Not just dirt! Mixture of eroded rock, minerals, inorganic nutrients, decaying organic matter, water, air, and living organisms. Soil Composition – % mineral matter weathered rock – % organic matter detritus – %water – % air

30. Soil

31. Soil Layers Horizons –soil forms in horizontal layers called horizons –most plant roots are in the first two layers –O Horizon –A Horizon

32. Soil Layers –E Horizon –B Horizon –C Horizon –Bedrock

33. Soil Layers

34. Soil Structure Clay –smallest particle size Silt –medium sized particles Sand –relatively large particle size

35. Soil Structure Gravel –largest particle size Loam

36. Soil Structure

37. Soil Quality Porosity Structure Sorting Permeability

38. Soil Quality Conductivity Nutrient Retention Stability pH

39. Erosion Removes soil and ruins surface water where the soil is deposited. Causes Accelerated by poor agricultural practices

40. Erosion Great Dust Bowl of 1930s –severe drought 1930-1937 –poor agricultural practices no natural vegetative roots to hold soil in place

41. Agricultural Degredation Soil Salinization

42. Agricultural Degredation Desertification

43. Increasing Crop Production Fertilizer Methods/Types –Organic Fertilizers Animal manure Green manure Compost –Inorganic Fertilizers

44. Soil Conservation Erosion Reduction Methods: –Conservation Tillage Farming –Crop Rotation –Contour Farming

45. Soil Conservation Erosion Reduction Methods: –Terracing –Strip Cropping Strip Cropping Terracing

46. Soil Conservation Erosion Reduction Methods: –Alley Cropping/Agroforestry/Shelterbelts

47. Soil Conservation Laws Soil Conservation Act of 1935 –authorized formation of Soil Conservation Service, now called Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) –assess soil damage and develop BMPs to improve soil Food Security Act (Farm Bill) 1985 –farmers with highly erodible soil had to change their farming practices –instituted Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to stop farming highly erodible land

48. Soil Conservation Laws 1872 Mining Law –Forces government to sell public land leases to private investors at bargain prices –Requires companies to return site to as good of condition, if not better, when completion of mining activity companies can (and have) abandon site or file for bankruptcy. –leaves taxpayers with the clean-up bill –some sites cost several million dollars to remediate

49. Mineral Resources Minerals –Naturally occurring elements or inorganic compounds found in Earth’s crust. Elements or compounds of elements that occur naturally in the Earth’s crust. –Rocks –Ores

50. Minerals Unevenly distributed throughout the world Discovery of new reserves

51. Mining Surface Mining –extracts ~ of minerals in US ( of coal) –Open-Pit Mining –Strip-Mining/Mountain Top Mining Subsurface (Traditional) Mining

52. Open Pit Mine

53. Ore Processing Smelting –process in which ore is melted at high temps to separate impurities from the molten metal

54. Mining Effects Disturbs large area Uses large quantities of water Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)

55. Mining Effects Mill Tailings Smelting plants

56. Mining Restoration Goals prevent further degradation and erosion of land, eliminate local sources of toxins and make land productive for another purpose Creative Approaches –Wetlands –Phytoremediation

57. Minerals Reserves –mineral deposits that have been identified and are currently profitable to extract –Highly developed countries –Developing countries

58. Minerals

59. Other Mineral Reserves Antarctica –no substantial mineral deposits identified to date –Antarctica Treaty of 1961 limits activity to peaceful uses –Madrid Protocol of 1990 Moratorium on mineral exploration Deep Ocean –may provide us with future supplies extracting minerals from seawater mining seafloor –manganese nodules

60. Manganese Nodule Deposits

61. Mineral Conservation Reduce –the amount of materials you use Reuse –lunch boxes, sandwich bags, grocery bags, soda bottles, diapers Repair –instead of replace

62. Mineral Conservation Recycle –Paper is the most recycled item

63. Four “R’s” Recycle –USE THE BINS! –Paper is the most recycled item –Primary/Closed Loop Recycling Waste is recycled into new products of same type –old cans into new cans, old newspaper into new newspaper –Secondary/Open Loop Recycling Convert waste materials into different products –Newspapers into cellulose insulation –Preconsumer/Internal Wastes wastes from manufacturing process –Postconsumer/External Wastes wastes generated by the consumer