The water planet

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The water planet
Water
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O
H
H

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Water we waste it, we pollute it, we take it
for granted. Virtually the most valuable
commodity we have (except maybe O2)
You're about 70 Water!
Tree 60 water jelly fish 90 water Where
has your water come from???
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All of the Earth's waters are connected and
cleaned by the HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Water moves through the hydrologic cycle at
various speeds. For example 40,000 years to
recycle oceanic water 2 weeks to recycle river
water 9 to 10 days to recycle atmospheric water
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Energy for the hydrological cycle

• is from the sun (solar power)
• The atmosphere is a heat trap
• H2O is a greenhouse gas
• Hydrologic cycle main global energy
  redistribution system
• --thru both the oceans and the atmosphere

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Ocean currents
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The hydrological cycle
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Evaporation

• Injects water vapour into atmosphere
• Uses 50 of energy at earths surface (cools the
  earths surface)

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The Atmosphere

• only 0.001 of all water
• links major water stores
• evaporation
• condensation
• precipitation
• cold air hold less water than hot air
• as hot air rises and cools, precipitation can form

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Effect of vegetation on rainfall
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Effect of vegetation on rainfall
Interception loss may be 20 40 of total
rainfall for forests
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Hillslope runoff processes
infiltration
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About 10 of precipitation will infiltrate the
soil and rock to become groundwater, forming a
water table.
The majority of accessible fresh water is
groundwater, water beneath the Earth's surface.
Water saturated permeable rock is an aquifer.
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Aquifers
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Rivers
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The Water Balance

• May be applied to whole river basins or catchments

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The water balance
Quantifying the hydrological cycle
15 4 6
unsaturated soil
saturated zone
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Global Water Supply

• 0.03 of worlds water is readily available
• Not evenly distributed
• human water use has increased 4 times in the
  last 50 yrs!
• increasing population and
• increasing use per person
• 70 used for Agriculture
• waste water production1870 km3 in1980
• 2300 km3 in 2000

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Irrigation
- The BIG water use

• 1950 -80 world irrigation area tripled
• 1990 7 less irrigated area per person than
  1980
• inc. competition between rural and urban water
  use
• 21 of USA crop irrigated by draw-down of W.T

NOT SUSTAINABLE
26 of world irrigated area suffers waterlogging
and salinization
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The Ogallala Aquifer
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Water use
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WATER SAVINGS GUIDE
Activity Conservative use - saves water Normal use -- wastes water
Shower Wetdown/rinse off 4 gallons Regular shower 25 gallons
Brushing teeth Wet brush, brief rinse 1/2 gal. Tap running 10 gallons
Toilets Minimize flushing, low-flush toilets Old toilet, frequent flushing?!?!
Leaks Report ASAP A small drip 25 gallons per day
Energy Turn off power Wasting energy wastes water
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