AP Environmental Science

Unit 3 Study Guide

Global Water Resources and Uses

I. Properties of Water:
- High specific heat capacity
- Dissolves many compounds
- Filters out harmful UV radiation in aquatic ecosystems
- Expands when freezes
- Most human settlements are determined by availability of freshwater
- Freshwater is a limited resource

II. Lakes:
- Processes that form lakes:
When a mountain is created a subsequent depression can also be created
Advancing and retreating glaciers
Salt lakes form when there is no natural outlet or when the evaporation rate is
very high
Oxbow lakes formed by erosion in the river valleys
Crater lakes formed in volcanic craters and calderas
- Lakes are temporary over the geological time scale because they eventually fill up with
sediments

- Zones:
Littoral: sloped area close to land
Photic (open-water): where sunlight is abundant
Benthic (deep-water): bottom third; little sunlight
- Artificial lakes are created for hydropower, agriculture, domestic supply, and industrial
use
- Turbidity: amount and type of suspended particles in the water; measured using a Secchi
disk
- Eutrophication: excessive richness of nutrients which causes a dense growth of plant life
and death of annual life from lack of sunlight
- Types of Lakes:
Oligotrophic lakes are generally clear due to low nutrient levels and have little
plant life
Mesotrophic lakes have good clarity and an average level of nutrients
Eutrophic lakes are enriched with nutrients and result in large algal blooms
Hypertrophic excessive nutrients, poor water clarity; often a result of human
activity
III. Breezes:
- Land Breeze = land to sea
- Sea Breeze = sea to land

IV. Wetlands:
- Swamps, estuaries, marshes, and bogs
- Characterized by a water table that stands at or near the land surface for a long enough
time to support aquatic plants
- Provide flood control and effective at filtering and cleaning water
- Historically have been drained for real estate purposes (half gone by 1993)
- Relevant Treaty:
 AP Environmental Science
Unit 3 Study Guide

Global Water Resources and Uses

Ramsar Convention (1971): international treaty to evaluate and prioritize

wetlands and not use them as wastelands

V. Aquifers:
- Geological formation that contains water in quantities sufficient to support a well or
spring

VI. Oceans:
- Zones:
Aphotic
Benthic
Disphotic
Neritic
Oceanic
Pelagic
Photic
- The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt: flows from the Atlantic all the way to the
Scandinavian islands
- Upwelling occur when winds created by the Coriolis effect push warmer, nutrient poor,
waters away from the coastline. This causes nutrient rich deep water to take its place and
results in excessive algae growth

VII. Agricultural, Industrial, and Domestic Use

- Agriculture:
Drip Irrigation:
- No runoff
- Less pumping costs
- Lower demand on aquifers or depleted water resources
- Crop yield increases
- Tubing can be changed as needed
- Plants are not waterlogged or water stressed
70% of freshwater is used for agriculture

- Industry:
Used for cooling power plants
25% of freshwater is used for industry
- Domestic:
Flushing toilets
Bathing drinking