Water Quality Lab

.docx

School

Northern Virginia Community College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

121

Subject

Geography

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

10

Uploaded by HighnessOryxPerson1009

Report
Name _____________________ Water Quality Lab Worksheet Part I Questions to be answered using diagrams of the biogeochemical cycles provided with this lecture prior to lab Hydrologic Cycle 1. In the hydrologic cycle what are the two primary routes water from precipitation may take in returning to the ocean? 2. How is this route being altered due to human activities? Nitrogen Cycle 1. What are the human alterations to the nitrogen cycle?
2. What are the links between the hydrologic and nitrogen cycles? 3. How would you expect the alteration in the hydrologic cycle to affect nitrogen levels in lakes and streams? The Sulfur Cycle 1. What three human activities have increased atmospheric levers of sulfur dioxide? 2. Follow the fate of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere. What would you expect the pH to be of a lake located in a region of higher than normal concentrations of atmospheric sulfur dioxide?
The Phosphate Cycle 1. How does the phosphate cycle differ from the other cycles observed? 2. What are the sources of human input? 3. Is this cycle linked to the hydrologic cycle? Explain
Part II A. Predicting water quality Although the sources and reservoirs vary among the nutrient cycles, water as a major medium for transfer remains consistent. Precipitation moves across the land as surface run-off carrying dissolved nutrients. In a pristine landscape the rate at which surface run-off moves is slowed by vegetation allowing greater percolation through the soil which acts as a natural filtering system. However, in a disturbed environment the proportion of run-off directly reaching streams, lakes and ultimately the ocean is much higher, with impervious surfaces such as pavement and buildings experiencing much greater runoff (100 %), compared to lawn/grass( 30% ) and forest (25%). As a consequence the alterations in local hydrologic cycles attributed to landscape alterations are frequently reflected in the water conditions of lakes. Likewise, alterations to localized nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur cycles may be magnified by disturbed hydrologic cycles and readily detected in lakes. Before we actually conduct water quality tests for the NOVA lake, we are going to make a prediction based on the percentage of forested surface area in the watershed . Landscape analysis is now frequently conducted using GIS software rather than physically assessing the land. We will be using a free computer application called icanopy to evaluate the Accotink Creek Watershed where the Annandale campus is located.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help