Pre-Class Preparation Pre-Class Preparation
Objectives
Class images
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Class Discussion
Summary prepared by:3-10 Summary
The topic of this unit deals specifically with the problems we are and will be facing in the future, with water resources. At the root of this problem are, population growth and growing economic activity, basically expanded civilization. With this we see a significant rise in water needs for farms, businesses, and households. Not only have humans accelerated this problem directly, by expansion, but also indirectly through climate change. It is said that the Earth is warming, and with this warming comes higher temperatures, more evaporation, and also more precipitation. This theory can and probably will fluctuate based on particular areas of the globe. But in areas where precipitation may be reduced, fresh and ground water stores will also most certainly decrease. This would also directly affect the agricultural sectors of the world, if we were to experience this reduction in precipitation and increased evaporation. The cost associated with trying to adjust to these changes in water levels may prove to be too much for more poor and underdeveloped nations of the world. In closing, humanityís consumption of water has increased, and if we are to continue our current living standards, changes need to be made. Suggestion are to create more facilities for storing water at opportune times of the year, sensitize people to the problems of water wastage, and also an inventory of our water basinsí strengths and weaknesses need to be taken so that in the event of predicted climate change we are more prepared to deal with problem areas first.
Dialog Summary
In the dialog for this unit dealing with the impact of global change on water resources and water use, many good points were brought to the students attention. One comment from a student relates the increase of nitrogen use in the plain states to the decease in available oxygen at the Mississippi River Basin. The main phenomenon studied here is called hypoxia. Another student adds on to this point of hypoxia saying that this event can be predicted by how much fertilizer is applied in the plain states and how much of the land has been modified near the Mississippi River. One student gives examples of two harmful chemicals that were recently discovered in the water supply in Nevada and what effects they have on humans. Some students talked about the water use in our own area. There was a Squaw Creek Watershed Managment Conference that one student attended and the goal of the sub-watershed group was to find the major problems or issues within that watershed. One student was wondering about certain chemicals being tested in the Ames Water Monitoring summary of the utility bill. The questions they posed went unanswered when this summary was written.
Summary of Unit 3-10 quiz questions.
The first question was about groundwater overdraft, the correct answer was that it includes adverse societal consequences of excessive groundwater withdrawl. This answer is correct because the process of groundwater overdraft does and will continue to directly effect our society as long as we continue to excessively remove groundwater. The second question was about the "water-budget myth." The myth implies that the natural environmental recharge will balance out all of the withdrawls, natural and unnatural. The fact is that this is false, recharge cannot balance out the amount that is being withdrawn. The third and final question is about the average daily per capita use of groundwater in the US...using approximate 1995 statistics. The correct answer is 290 gallons. This can be figured out by dividing the total assumption a day by the number of people in the US.
Post-Class Activities
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Global freshwater stress
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Freshwater stress: current population at
risk
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| CIESIN Thematic Guides: Freshwater Resources. |
| National Climatic Data Center |
| Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment(GEWEX) Home Page |
| USGS Water Resources Information |
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