Hydrosphere Human Impact

Saltwater intrusion can occur in aquifers near coastlines, when fresh groundwater in the aquifer is displaced by salt water. Coastline aquifers become more vulnerable to saltwater intrusion when freshwater recharge rates are low or withdrawal rates are high. An aquifer in which of the following areas would be MOST affected by saltwater intrusion?

• a small coastal town experiencing a rainy summer

• a coastal agricultural area using periodic irrigation

• a large inland region of growing cities and farms

• a growing coastal city undergoing a drought

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Which best explains why population growth can result in water shortages and rationing in certain areas?

• Lake water is reserved for recreation.

• Increasing biomass decreases evaporation rates.

• Tall buildings impede the development of rain clouds.

• Aquifers recharge slowly.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

A student created a diagram of farmland with runoff from cornfields to a nearby pond. What was the student probably trying to model?

• how acid rain kills pond plants

• how pond water is use to irrigate crops

• how fertilizers can get into ponds and cause algae blooms

• how toxic chemicals from industrial wastes can poison pond water

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A regional water board is examining proposals to provide drinking water to a growing metropolitan area. Which of these proposals is most likely to deplete groundwater supplies?

• installation of city-owned wells within each neighborhood

• construction of a dam to create a large water reservoir

• placement of stations along a river to capture and filter water

• establishment of a water treatment plant next to a large lake

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Which of the following is most responsible for reducing the availability of fresh water in this country?

• aquifer depletion

• reservoir evaporation

• non-point source pollution

• boat and watercraft emissions

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

The REUWS study examined residential water use in North America in 1999. This study measured gallons of water used per household per day (gphd) in twelve cities. Researchers repeated the study in certain cities in 2012. The graph compares the results of the first study to results from households in Tacoma, Washington, more than a decade later. Under this assumption, which of the following manufacturers could claim to have achieved the greatest success in the development and marketing of water conservation technology?

• toilet manufacturers

• clothes washer manufacturers

• shower head manufacturers

• dishwasher manufacturers

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

The table compares a family’s annual water use to an average household and a water-wise household.

The family compares their information to the other information in the table. Which of these changes would help them become a more water-wise household?

• install different faucets

• get a new clothes washer

• replace their toilet

• take baths instead of showers

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

What does water quality tell us?

• tells us if the water went through the cleaning process

• tells us how healthy water is

• tells us how water should be cleaned

• tells us where the water came from

How could pesticides get into lakes and streams?

• too much could be used
• it could be sprayed too close to a stream
• rain could wash pesticides into a stream
• all of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

an area of land that is drained by a specified river or other body of water

• Marsh
• Estuary
• Watershed
• Tidal Pool