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Questions and Answers
What is the main difference between groundwater and surface water?
What is the main difference between groundwater and surface water?
What is an aquifer?
What is an aquifer?
What happens when too much groundwater is pumped from an aquifer?
What happens when too much groundwater is pumped from an aquifer?
What is an example of a surface water system?
What is an example of a surface water system?
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What is the term for removing more water from an aquifer than is allowed to recharge?
What is the term for removing more water from an aquifer than is allowed to recharge?
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What is a consequence of aquifer depletion?
What is a consequence of aquifer depletion?
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What is a consequence of surface water overdrawing?
What is a consequence of surface water overdrawing?
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What is a consequence of salinization of soils?
What is a consequence of salinization of soils?
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What is a cause of the Aral Sea's drastic volume reduction?
What is a cause of the Aral Sea's drastic volume reduction?
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What is a consequence of irrigation?
What is a consequence of irrigation?
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Study Notes
Sources of Water
- Water is used for various purposes such as cleaning, drinking, agricultural irrigation, and generating electricity from hydroelectric power.
- There are two main categories of water sources: groundwater and surface water.
- Groundwater is water below the surface of the ground, which can be found just below the soil or in an aquifer.
- Surface water is water above ground, including streams, rivers, and lakes.
Groundwater
- Aquifers are underground water reservoirs made of permeable rock that can hold water for many years.
- Aquifers do not fill quickly and can take a long time to recharge.
- Groundwater is removed through wells and is used for agricultural irrigation, drinking water, municipalities, and commercial and industrial uses.
Removal of Groundwater
- Aquifer depletion occurs when more water is pumped from the aquifer than is allowed to recharge, causing serious problems in the landscape.
- Over-extraction of groundwater can cause land subsidence, which may create dangerous sinkholes.
- Other issues that may arise from aquifer depletion include less water reaching streams, rivers, and lakes, dried up wells, a lowered water table, and salt water entering the groundwater supply.
Removal of Surface Water
- Surface waters, including streams, lakes, and rivers, can also be overdrawn, affecting ecosystems and human needs.
- Examples of overdrawn surface waters include the Colorado River, the Rio Grande, the Nile, and the Yellow River in China.
- The Aral Sea in Central Asia is a severe example of surface water depletion, resulting in a hostile environment, economic disaster, and loss of agriculture and fishing jobs.
Effects of Irrigation
- Irrigation removes large amounts of water from both below and above ground and adds dissolved salts back into the soils, leading to salinization.
- Salinization of soils prevents plants from taking up water, reducing crop yield and affecting the ecosystem.
- Salty soils can also contaminate surface waters and groundwater supplies.
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Description
This quiz covers the different sources of water, including groundwater and surface water, and their uses. Learn about the importance of water in our daily lives and the various ways it is utilized.
