The Hydrosphere

ChE 150 Environmental Process Engineering 2nd Semester AY 2012-2013

LECTURE OUTLINE
Hydrosphere Water and its Properties Hydrologic Cycle Water Systems Water Resources Issues

HYDROSPHERE
Liquid portion of the atmosphere Primarily H2O

BENEFICIAL USES OF WATER

Aquatic life and fisheries Drinking water resources Domestic uses Recreation Agricultural use Industrial uses Transportation

WATER PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES: Very stable compound Polar molecule

WATER PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:
Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid.
Ionic substances Some gases Sugars Other biologically important compounds

WATER PROPERTIES

WATER PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES: Ability to form hydrogen bonds Pure water has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.

WATER PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Water is unique in that it is the only natural substance that is found in all three states -- liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam) -- at the temperatures normally found on Earth.

WATER PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Water is unusual in that the solid form, ice, is less dense than the liquid form, which is why ice floats. Water has higher density than most other liquids. Colorless, tasteless, odorless liquid

WATER PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Transparent to visible and longerwavelength fraction of ultraviolet (UV) light. Has a very high surface tension.

WATER PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Has higher heat capacity than any other liquid except ammonia. Has higher heat of evaporation than any other material. Has higher latent heat of fusion than any other liquid except ammonia.

WATER RESOURCES

WATER RESOURCES

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
The movement of water from one reservoir to another. Three main reservoirs of water: - oceans - atmosphere - continents

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Powered by the sun Possible because of the different phase changes that water can undergo: - evaporation and condensation - sublimation - melting and freezing

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
PROCESSES IN THE CYCLE:
Precipitation the change of atmospheric water vapor to liquid (rain) or solid (snow) Evaporation the phase change of water from liquid to vapor Transpiration the release of water into the atmosphere by plant and animal cells

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
PROCESSES IN THE CYCLE:
Infiltration the movement of liquid water downward from the land surface into and through the soil and rock Runoff the total amount of water from continents flowing into a stream

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Residence Time the amount of time that a water molecule typically resides in a given reservoir Typical Residence Times of Reservoirs: Oceans 2650 years Atmosphere about 8 days Continents 403 years Hydrologic budget compares inflow and outflow of water in a certain reservoir

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

WATER SYSTEMS
Fresh Water
Surface Water Ground Water

Saline Water
Marine Water Coastal Water

SURFACE WATER SYSTEMS

Drainage channels and enclosed bodies of water that regulate the supply of fresh water in the continents. Include rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Store some precipitation and glacial melt water and carry the run-off to replenish the ocean. Supports an ecology of interdependent plant and animal.

SURFACE WATER SYSTEMS

Surface water is water on the ground or in a stream, river, lake, sea or ocean; as opposed to groundwater. Important sources of public water supplies because of the high withdrawal rates they can normally sustain.

RIVERS
Drain into oceans. Characterized by uni-directional current with a relatively high velocity (0.1 1.0 m/s). Thorough and continuous vertical mixing. Lateral mixing may take place only over considerable distances.

LAKES
Characterized by a low, average current velocity of 0.001 to 0.01 m/s (surface values) Currents are multi-directional. Shows alternating periods of stratification and vertical mixing, the periodicity of which is regulated by climactic conditions and lake depth.

LAKES

LAKES

LAKES

LAKES

LAKES

LAKES

WETLANDS
Poorly drained, low relief areas in which the soil is seasonally or perennially saturated or covered with water. Examples include rice paddies, mangrove forests, and marshes. Rich in organic matter. Destroyed mainly through draining and filling.

WETLANDS
Provide habitat for plants and animals in the watershed. Help to absorb and slow floodwaters. Absorb excess nutrients, sediment, and other pollutants before they reach rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. Great spots for fishing, canoeing, hiking, and bird-watching.

GROUNDWATER
Underground water Characterized by steady flow patterns in terms of direction and velocity. Velocity is between 10-10 to 10-3 and largely governed by permeability and porosity of the geological material. Poor mixing.

GROUNDWATER
Water that has percolated downward from the ground surface through the soil pores. Not as susceptible in pollution as surface water but once polluted, restoration is difficult and long term.

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER
Water table determines the boundary where groundwater starts.

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER
Environmental hazards associated with groundwater:
Land subsidence Groundwater mining Saline intrusion in coastal areas Groundwater pollution

GROUNDWATER
When water is withdrawn, the soil compacts and sinks, a process called subsidence. Excessive withdrawal of water threatens the long-term prospects for irrigated agriculture.

GROUNDWATER
Groundwater overdraft drains swamps and ponds at times drying them up completely.

GROUNDWATER
Groundwater overdraft leads to saltwater intrusion.

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER
Saltwater intrusion

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER
Major sources of groundwater pollution:
Leaking underground storage tanks and septic tanks Leachate from landfills and dumpsites Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields Accidental spills

GROUNDWATER
Contaminants flow in groundwater thru dispersion. Contaminated groundwater is cleaned by containment, containment withdrawal and bioremediation.

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER

SEA WATER
Sea water is water from sea or ocean. On average, sea water in the world's oceans has a salinity of ~3.5% Seawater can be turned into drinkable (potable) water by one of a number of desalination processes.

SALINE WATER
Saline because the rate of addition of ions from rivers exceeds their rate of depletion. Surface currents are driven by winds. Deep-ocean currents occur because gravity pulls water along a density gradient created by vertical differences in temperature and salinity.

SALINE WATER

POLLUTION IN OCEANS
Source % of total Runoff and discharge from land 44 Airborne emissions from land 33 Shipping and accidental spills 12 Ocean dumping 10 Offshore mining and oil gas drilling 1

WATER USE
Consumptive renders water unavailable for future use; either because of evaporation, extreme pollution, or seepage underground; until the hydrologic cycle returns as rain.
Non-consumptive leaves the water available (after treatment if necessary) for reuse without going through the hydrologic cycle.

RECLAIMED WASTEWATER
Water that has been treated sufficiently for direct reuse in industry and agriculture and for limited municipal reclamation.

WATER USE
FACTORS AFFECTING AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY OF WATER:

Erosion

Flooding

Drought

WATER SUPPLY PROBLEMS

Unequal distribution of accessible water Rapidly rising demand
Pollution of water supplies

WATER SUPPLY PROBLEMS

TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO WATER SHORTAGES:
Groundwater withdrawals Dams and reservoirs

DAMS AND RESERVOIRS

POSITIVE EFFECTS: Help prevent recurrent catastrophic floods Generate electricity Provide needed water for farms and cities during drought periods Increase certain forms of recreation

DAMS AND RESERVOIRS

NEGATIVE EFFECTS: Inundate wildlife habitat, farmland, and towns Reduce stream flow into the ocean resulting in changes in salt concentration of receiving waters Reduction in the flow of nutrient-rich sediment to coastal waters

MEETING PRESENT AND FUTURE DEMANDS

How Water is Used in a Typical Household:

FLOODING: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

CAUSES OF FLOODING
Heavy rainfall Precipitation that do not evaporate either runoff or percolate into the soil -- Forest and grasses retard water flow
and promote percolation -- Heavily vegetated watersheds act as sponges. -- Light vegetation increases surface runoff and, hence flooding.

CAUSES OF FLOODING
Stripping of vegetation by farmers, urban planners, and developers Increasing number of highways, shopping centers, office buildings, and homes, which greatly increase the amount of impermeable surface

CONTROLLING FLOODING
Dams
Watershed management Zoning