Week 3 water lab SCI 207

.docx

School

University Of Arizona *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

207

Subject

Geography

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by nickoleewood

1 Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions Nickole Wood SCI 207: Our Dependence Upon the Environment Cornelia Harris November 27, 2023

2 Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions Introduction One of the essential fundamentals of our water supply is ground and surface water. Runoff is when rain and melted snow are a primary source of groundwater and surface water. This is more common in smaller cities. Aquifer is a term I learned that is when water seeps slowly down into the soil and rocks. (Nathanson, 2023) Water can so easily be contaminated. That said, we must be watchful of how we affect the water. In this lab, as students, we will be able to create models on the different effects that our ecosystem has on groundwater and surface water. The various experiments will be able to show how contaminants enter the water. Once the pollutants are in the water, they play a crucial role in how the ground and surface water can hin- der the growth of vegetation and easily spread infections to animals and humans. A prime example is when someone cleans their grill with chemicals; those toxins drain into the flowerbed, contaminating them. The lab will also go over the point source and nonpoint source pollution. A point source comes from a single place, whereas a nonpoint source is more challenging to determine as it comes from many places. (Stanley, 2020) This lab is to teach how contaminants enter the water and the surrounding environment. We must understand how we pollute the air and water daily, such as driving or an accidental toxin spill. That single spill could have serious consequences. It could make its way into the wa- ter we drink in the house. Once the contaminants are in the water, they will affect both ground and surface water, causing sickness to humans and plant life or harming the animals so they can no longer survive in the area. One of the primary purposes of this lab is to get a general idea of

3 how groundwater and surface water play a role in our environment, especially once contami- nated. Activity one: For the first activity, I hypothesize that once the water is removed from the well, it influences the water level in the reservoir. It will cause the water level to decrease due to the wa- ter being released . Activity two: For the second activity, I hypothesize that the reservoir's contaminated water will go into the groundwater supply. My theory is that the water shares the same area and sources, which would cause them both to be polluted despite a barrier between them. Activity three : For the third activity, I hypothesize that the fertilizer will affect the other ground- water by contaminating it. I used a clay barrier in an area for all three experiments to create a well and a reservoir. I used sand and gravel to help create landscapes. I cut plastic tubes in half with scissors to measure the amount of water. They were also using a permanent marker to measure the water levels. A foam cup was used to create rainfall by poking ten holes in the top and used aquarium tubing taped to the side to represent a well. Pipets were used to drain the extra water out of the con- tainer, and I documented all my results with photos. Results Observations For activity one I observed that no additional water was to reservoir. The straw measurement test at well had a reading of 12 cm before it was drained. The water level was at 31 cm after being

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