Oil Spills and Water Quality PDF

Oil Spills The Industrial Revolution What Changed During the Industrial Revolution? ○ Took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. ○ Shifted from farming and handmade goods to factories and machines. ○ Created a demand for new energy sources to power industries. Rise of Oil Usage...

Oil Spills The Industrial Revolution What Changed During the Industrial Revolution? ○ Took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. ○ Shifted from farming and handmade goods to factories and machines. ○ Created a demand for new energy sources to power industries. Rise of Oil Usage New technologies, like steam engines, needed more energy. Oil became a key resource for transportation, heating, and manufacturing. The increased use of oil led to more drilling and transportation, heightening the risk of accidents and spills. The Importance of the Ocean Provides food and habitat for many creatures (like whales and sea otters). Affects the climate and is essential for the water cycle. Offers recreation (swimming and enjoyment).  What Causes Oil Spills? Oil spills can occur from: ○ Tankers ○ Pipelines ○ Trucks Example: Deepwater Horizon oil spill released millions of barrels into the ocean. Understanding Oil and Water Oil is less dense than water, so it floats on top. Oil molecules are hydrophobic (water-hating). When oil spills, it creates an "oil slick" on the water's surface. ACTIVITY: Your Oil Spill Challenge Imagine an oil tanker spills its oil. Your Task: Find the best way to contain and clean up the spill. Methods to Clean Up Oil Spills Booms: Barriers to contain the spill. Skimmers: Devices to remove oil from the water. Controlled Burning: Removes oil quickly but can leave harmful residue. More Clean Up Methods Chemical Dispersants: Chemicals that break up the oil into smaller droplets, helping it mix with water. Vacuum Trucks: Specialized trucks that suck up oil from the water’s surface. Factors to Consider Waves and wind can spread oil, making it difficult to clean. Different spills require different methods it is no one-size-fits-all solution. Impact of Oil on Animals Birds: oil coats their feathers, reducing insulation and making it hard to fly. Marine Life: fish and other animals can be poisoned by ingesting oil or contaminated food. Habitats: oil spills can destroy habitats, affecting the food chain and ecosystems. Aquatic Ecosystem Population Groups of individuals of the same species that live in the same area. Community Groups of different populations that live together in a defined area. Ecosystem Groups of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving environment. Diversity in Fresh & Salt Water Diversity - The variety of different species in an ecosystem, may also be used to describe variety in populations or species. Whether an environment is healthy or not is usually judged by the number and range of species that live in that environment. Aquatic Adaptations Adaptation - Physical characteristics or behaviour of a species that increase the species chance of survival in its environment. ○ All living things have specific adaptations ○ All living things are continually adapting ○ Common adaptation are for breathing, feeding, reproduction and movement Adaptations for Aquatic Environments The main environmental factors that lead to adaptations in aquatic environments are: ○ Temperature ○ Light ○ Pressure ○ Salinity Water Movement Examples of Adaptations Fish have fins to help them swim Fish have gills to help them breathe Examples of Adaptation Sea turtles have hard shells to protect them from waves and predators. Examples of Adaptation Lobsters and crab have claws to help catch food Examples of Adaptation Octopus can change colour to hide from predators What About Humans? Changes in Populations A change in population could mean many things! ○ An increase of decrease in total population ○ A change in number of males vs. females ○ A change in number of young vs. old 3 Major Types of Change 1. Seasonal Changes Migration Warmer temperatures increase insect population 3 Major Types of Change 2. Short-Term Change Sudden change in population that does not happen yearly and doesn’t last too long May be caused by humans (algae blooms) 3 Major Types of Change 3. Long-Term Changes A change that does not happen yearly and has long lasting effects (ex: coral bleaching) Can be caused by nature (ex: volcanic eruptions) Can be caused by humans (ex: climate change, overfishing) Bioindicator Species These are species that scientists will observe to determine the overall health of aquatic ecosystems Examples of Water Quality Changes Acid rain has been known to increase the acidity of a lake to a point that no living things can survive anymore An increase in water temperature can cause algae to increase population Surface Water & Groundwater Where is Earth’s Water? Surface Water Surface water is comprised of all the water in rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, and reservoirs—are vitally important to our everyday life. The main uses of surface water include: drinking-water and other public uses. Water Cycle REVIEW What drives the water cycle? Heat from the sun What happens after precipitation? Water stays on the ground’s surface as runoff or percolates into the ground What Happens During Runoff? When precipitation turns into surface runoff, water will run downhill. As water moves, it carries sediment with it (erosion). Sediment Sediment is sorted by mass and density 1. Bed Load 2. Suspended Load 3. Dissolved Load 1) Bed Load This solid material is too large and heavy to be suspended in the water. The bed load rolls, slides, or skips along the stream’s bottom. Bed load does not move quickly or travel far. 2) Suspended Load Medium to fine sized particles are carried in the suspended load. Suspended load is what makes a river appear muddy. The longer sediment stays suspended, the further it travels downstream. 3. Dissolved Load Dissolved load is made of soluble soil compounds (minerals). The dissolved load is invisible to the naked eye. Stream Channels & Rivers As sediment erodes a stream bed, it widens and bends over time. Meanders are curves within rivers. Over time if two meanders meet, it can leave an oxbow lake behind. Depositional Landforms Depositional landforms are created when sediment is deposited downstream. Canyons form when water erosion carves through rock layers. If that sediment is deposited into the ocean, a delta forms. Where Does Surface Water End Up? https://river-runner-global.samlearner.com/ Groundwater Groundwater is the water from precipitation that soaks into the ground. The water moves downward to fill cracks and openings in soils and rocks. Groundwater makes up about 30% of the world’s freshwater supply Main Uses of Groundwater Drinking Water Irrigation Industry (Power Plant Cooling) What is an Aquifer? An aquifer is made of a layer of permeable rock where water is stored underground.  Spring Well Water Table Aquifer Springs Whenever the water table reaches the ground’s surface, a natural flow of groundwater emerges called a spring. Geysers Sometimes water underground gets heated from the Earth’s core. Once the water gets hot it can erupt shooting hot water and steam into the air. This is called a geyser. Wells We use wells to pump water from aquifers. It is important to not pump aquifers faster than they can refill. Groundwater Contamination Water Quality Water Testing Criteria Colour & cloudiness Dissolved salts and minerals Toxic substances Bacteria pH Even taste Water Quality Water Quality: a measure of the amount of substances (other than water) in a water sample. In other words “how pure is the water sample?”. Water in nature is never pure, it always contains organisms or organic material, minerals and other dissolved chemicals. Potable Water: water that is safe for human consumption (to drink). Substances Dissolved in Water Dissolved minerals in water can creates different hues that change the colour of water. Ex: Lake Louise (Alberta) Has a green-turquoise water due to glacier meltwater that contains mineral sand “rock flour”, the sunlight bouncing off of these particles give them this look Substances Dissolved in Water Fresh water found in nature is full of dissolved minerals which can affect a water’s taste, pH, oxygen content and toxicity! Most substances dissolved in fresh water and salt water are called salts - the most common being sodium chloride (table salt). Salinity The amount of dissolved salts in a body of water Not potable (humans cannot drink it) Seawater has a higher salinity than fresh water The atlantic ocean is the saltiest ocean. Other “Salts” Dissolved in Water As fresh water flows from Earth’s surface and underground it dissolves minerals from the soil and rocks. One of these is calcium carbonate. Hard Water: Water containing high amounts of calcium and magnesium (ex. groundwater wells) Soft Water: Water containing little to no calcium and magnesium (ex. rain water) Dissolved Toxins Water can also carry dissolved chemicals that are harmful to living things. Depending on the water source, water can contain significant amounts of the following toxins: ○ Lead ○ Radium ○ Arsenic ○ Sulfur ○ Mercury ○ Pesticides ○ Copper Bacteria in Water Water has many living things in it, microscopic bacteria included. Most bacteria are harmless when consumed but some can be very dangerous. Organisms in Drinking Water Fresh water also contains organisms and organic matter. Harmful bacteria in water include: ○ E. Coli - causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and could be fatal. ○ Salmonella - popular cause of “food poisoning”. Causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and fever, Thankfully human water treatment plants eliminate bad bacteria but sometimes outbreaks do occur! pH of Water pH Scale: measures how acidic or basic water is. The pH of water can affect the minerals dissolved in water, while minerals in water can also influence the pH Strong Acid Neutral Strong Base Testing pH We can test the pH of substances using Universal Indicator. Universal Indicator: a substance that can be added to a solution and create a colour change that indicates pH of solution. Water Quality Testing Water from a well is rarely treated since it is so far underground and safe from most natural and human activities. City water will always be treated because it comes from surface locations which have a high chance of pollution Treating water is important to bring up the quality so that it is potable. Fresh & Salt Water Systems Water Supply Earth is sometimes called the water planet because 71% of its surface is water. Earth has the most water of any planet in the solar system! Two influences on Earth’s water supply: ○ Natural occurrences ○ Human activities Humans don’t drink salt water. Humans drink fresh water. Distribution of Water on Earth Earth's water cycle is very important because it controls the distribution of water on Earth Earth’s water exists naturally in different forms: ○ Solid ○ Liquid ○ Gas (vapour) Water’s Different Forms Water on Earth Freshwater only makes up 3% of all the water on Earth Of that freshwater only 1% is available for human consumption That means only 0.3% of all the water on Earth is available for humans to drink. That is a tiny amount! Why so little Fresh water? Water Around the Globe How many oceans do you see? Water Around the Globe The “oceans” are all connected, but we divide them based on where they are on the planet: ○ Pacific ○ Atlantic ○ Indian ○ Southern ○ Arctic Why Are Oceans So Salty? Oceans and seas are fed by river water, and rain water. When river water flows it picks up minerals, these minerals along with the river water are eventually washed out to sea/ocean. Ocean Currents Surface currents are caused by steady winds, this moves the water great distances. Fresh Water Freshwater: Naturally occurring water that lacks the salt content found in seawater. ○ Lakes ○ Rivers ○ Ponds ○ Streams ○ Underground aquifers (accumulation) Glaciers Large moving body of ice, glaciers can be many meters or even kilometres thick, and stores vast amounts of freshwater. Glaciers that cover vast areas of land are called continental glaciers or ice caps. Colder Warmer The Water Cycle Demos! Demos! Demos! The Water Cycle  WATER Did you know… Water is used in many life processes. Also known as the “Hydrologic Cycle”. Water makes up 60-70% of your body! Remains chemically “unchanged” throughout its cycle - unlike many other nutrient cycles. The Water Cycle would be considered part of the Earth’s “hydrosphere”. WATER CYCLE TERMINOLOGY: Evaporation: Liquid into gas Condensation: Gas into liquid to form clouds Precipitation: Rain, snow, hail etc Run off: Water flows downwards Accumulation: Water pools Transpiration: Evaporation off of plants Percolation: Water absorbs into the ground We All Live in a Watershed Lesson One  How does water move through the environment? Precipitation Water Stored Infiltration Surface Runoff in Atmosphere Groundwater Surface Water Storage Storage Groundwater Condensation Discharge Spring Transpiration Evaporation 2  What is a Watershed? A watershed or drainage basin, is an area of land from which all water drains to a common waterway, such as a river, a lake or the ocean. Watersheds consist of all the surface water – lakes, streams, reservoirs and wetlands and all the water held underground in soil or pores and crevices in rock as groundwater Lakes Surface Water Rivers Streams Water beneath the earth’s surface Groundwater Flows underground and feeds surface water 3 10/30/2018 Add a footer  Why are watersheds important? They provide drinking water and water for recreation They provide food and water for plants and animals. We all live downstream and our everyday activities can affect downstream waters. 4 10/30/2018 Add a footer  Watersheds can be very large! 5 10/30/2018 Image from Wikipedia user Pfly.  Watersheds are nested The largest watersheds are called Regions e.g. Mid Atlantic Subregion Basin Subbasin Watershed Subwatershed Source: Marsh, 1998 p.170 6 10/30/2018 Add a footer