Water Quality Investigation

​Water Quality Investigation

Water Color | U.S. Geological Survey

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Multiple Choice

Why does pure water have the color?

• Pure water has a slight blue color due to the absorption of red light.
• Pure water is colorless due to the absence of impurities.
• Pure water has no color because it is completely transparent.
• Pure water appears green due to the reflection of light.

Temperature and Water | U.S. Geological Survey

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​https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/temperature-and-water

Multiple Select

How can water temperature affect an aquatic environment? Select four that apply.

• Warmer water reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen, making it harder for aquatic life to survive.

• Temperature determines which species can live in a river or lake, because each species has a preferred temperature range.

• Higher water temperature speeds up chemical reactions, causing changes in water chemistry (such as increased mineral dissolution).

• Water temperature changes only affect surface waters and have no impact on lakes or groundwater.

• Sudden shifts in water temperature can disrupt breeding, migration, and population levels of aquatic organisms.

Multiple Choice

How can parking lots alter the temperature of groundwater?

• They absorb heat and warm the runoff that infiltrates into the ground.

• They cool the water by providing shade over soil and aquifers.

• They trap cold air, lowering the temperature of water that seeps through them.

• They prevent water from evaporating, which keeps groundwater naturally cooler.

Multiple Choice

How can dams and power plants affect the temperatures of the water?

• They create conditions that prevent any major changes in water temperature over time.

• They add cool groundwater to rivers, which keeps temperatures stable in all seasons.

• They release cold or warm water that can change the temperature of downstream ecosystems.

• They block sunlight in a way that keeps water temperatures the same throughout the year.

Multiple Select

What methods are used to control this? (Select three that apply.)

• Releasing water from different depths of a reservoir to regulate downstream temperature.

• Adding cold groundwater directly into rivers to dilute warm water.

• Using cooling towers to lower the temperature of water before releasing it back into the environment.

• Increasing the flow rate of heated wastewater so it mixes faster with the river.

• Re-circulating cooling water within a power plant instead of discharging it directly.

pH and Water | U.S. Geological Survey

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Labelling

Label the pH scale with the following terms:

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

neutral

acidic

basic

Hotspot

Click the link in the reading: "water coming out of an abandoned coal mine."

Which portion of the United States would have the most naturally acidic groundwater?

Multiple Choice

What might this tell you about the amount of coal mining in these areas?

• High acidity in groundwater suggests intensive mining of sulfur-bearing ores or coal in the area.

• Areas with extremely acidic groundwater likely have little to no mining activity.

• The acidity indicates the groundwater comes from deep volcanic sources rather than mining.

• It means the area has only small-scale mining with minimal environmental impact.

Turbidity and Water | U.S. Geological Survey

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Multiple Choice

What is turbidity?

• A measure of how salty water is based on the minerals dissolved in it.

• A measure of how cloudy or clear the water is.

• A measure of how quickly water flows based on the slope of the streambed.

• A measure of how warm water is based on the amount of sunlight it receives.

Multiple Choice

What can cause turbidity in water?

• Extra dissolved oxygen that makes water appear brighter and clearer.

• Suspended particles like silt, clay, algae, and tiny organisms.

• Warm surface layers formed by sunlight during the summer months.

• Minerals that settle quickly and leave the upper water completely clear.

Multiple Choice

What is one potential health effect of turbid water?

• It can strengthen aquatic ecosystems by adding more sunlight.

• It can carry pathogens that increase the risk of waterborne illness.

• It can increase oxygen levels and improve overall water quality.

• It can remove harmful bacteria by trapping them in sediments.

Dissolved Oxygen and Water | U.S. Geological Survey

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Drag and Drop

When there are high amounts of rotting organic material in a body of water, the dissolved oxygen levels get especially​

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This process is called

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

low

high

infiltration

sedimentation

eutrophication

Hardness of Water | U.S. Geological Survey

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Multiple Choice

What determines the hardness of water?

• The amount of rainfall an area receives and how quickly it flows into rivers and lakes.

• The number of organisms living in the water and how fast they break down minerals.

• The overall temperature changes that occur as water moves through the landscape.

• The amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water.

Multiple Choice

What is the average concentration of hardness in our area of Georgia?

• less than or equal to 60 mg/L

• greater than 60 but less than or equal to 120 mg/L

• greater than 120 but less than or equal to 180 mg/L

• greater than 180 mg/L

Open Ended

Using evidence from this investigation, explain how different human activities and natural processes can influence overall water quality in a river or lake. Give at least two examples in your response.