Hydrological Cycle Paper
Describe the Water Cycle, Including Sources of Usable Freshwater and Renewal Times for Rivers, Lakes, and Ground Water
The water cycle is the process through which water evaporates from the earth surface and comes back as precipitation (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, n. d.). The evaporating water goes to the atmosphere, after which it condenses to form snow or rain. The rain falls to the earth surface as precipitation. Lakes and rivers collect the water falling as rain, making them sources of usable freshwater. Also, the rainwater may be collected in the soil, forming groundwater. Once the water in the lakes, rivers, oceans, or soil is heated, it evaporates. As a result, the water cycle starts all over again.
Explain How Wetland Destruction and Creation of Impervious Surfaces through Urban Development Affect the Water Cycle and Contribute to Flooding
Wetlands comprise of bogs, marshes and swamps as well as other areas that are periodically covered by water (United States Environmental Protection Agency, n. d.). These areas provide habitat and food for a wide array of animals and plants. At the same time, these areas act as buffers to erosion and flooding. Wetlands destruction breaks the water cycle. This is because wetlands contribute to rainfall formation. The water trapped in wetlands evaporates to form rain or snow. At the same time, wetlands support numerous plant species. The construction of houses, stadiums, roads, and factories result in the creation of impervious surfaces. These surfaces do not encourage the evaporation of groundwater. As a result, the creation of impervious surfaces interrupts the water cycle. Besides, wetlands develop highly rooted systems that hold the soil together (United States Environmental Protection Agency, n. d.). Thus, the plants that inhabit the wetlands rarely allow flooding. Thus, the destruction of wetland and urban developments disrupts the water cycle and increases the risks of flooding.
Explain Some Pros and Cons to Using Levees for Flood Control and whether it Is in the Best Interest Of Communities to Rely of Levees to Prevent Flooding
Levees are small borders or embankments whose goal is to prevent the overflowing of rivers (Federal Emergency Management Agency, n. d.). One of the benefits of the levees is that the embankments prevent flooding. Besides, levees may allow people to live by large masses of water, such as oceans or rivers. On the other hand, levees may be expensive to construct. The embankments require a lot of space. Besides, hauling the earthen fill from one place to another may be expensive (Federal Emergency Management Agency, n. d.). Also, levees may divert water to other places. This means that these embankments may prevent the flooding of one area but expose neighboring homesteads or towns to the same problem. At the same time, levees may fail. For instance, the water may rise above the embankments or cause overtopping. Also, levees may result in underflow. This occurs when water finds ways of permeating the sand deposits below the levees. As such, the cons of levees outweigh the pros making them a bad option for flood prevention.
Explain How Dams Influence the Hydrologic Cycle and whether they Are Viable Option for Long-Term Flood Control, Water Supplies, or Power Generation
Dams work by converting free-flowing water into permanently flooded water bodies (Global Forest Atlas, 2020). As such, dams bring together volumes of water in the same confined area. This results in massive evaporation as dams have more surface area than streams. Behind, rapid water level fluctuation increases the rate of downstream erosion and result in the washing up of grasses, shrubs, and trees along its banks. Thus, dams reduce the size of areas that contributes to the hydrological cycle by limiting the flow of water to streams and wetlands. Besides, dams construction causes environmental disturbances resulting in changes in the local ecology. For instance, dams make it harder or impossible for fish species to migrate upstream (Global Forest Atlas, 2020). Besides, dams have significant effects on forests and other ecosystems. Also, they may result in the displacement of communities living in areas where the dams are set to be constructed (Global Forest Atlas, 2020). While hydropower provides a renewable and cheap source of energy, these benefits come at significant environmental costs. Besides, dams experience fluctuation of water depending on the seasons in question. The fluctuation of water levels in dams makes them a bad option for flood control. Sometimes, the water levels in dams may be more than their capacities resulting in excess overflowing, which endangers the lives of people living near these water reservoirs. At the same time, dams are not the best option for water supply. This is because dams limit the amount of water people living downstream can access.
Explain Three Issues Associated with Irrigation, Including Whether Current Rates of Aquifer Use Are Sustainable
One of the problems associated with irrigation is ecological degradation. For instance, irrigation may result in reduced biodiversity as streams are destroyed. The other way through which irrigation results in ecological degradation is by damaging downstream ecosystems by reducing water quality and quantity (Food and Agriculture Organization, n. d.). Irrigation may result in the destruction of wetlands, river corridors, and watersheds. The other issue associated with irrigation is the depletion of groundwater. Both model and satellite-based estimates suggest that aquifers in agriculture-rich regions are losing mass (Grogan, Wsser, Prusevich, Lammers, & Frolking, 2017). Thus, current rates of aquifer use are unsustainable. Also, intense irrigation may result in the drying of wells that supply water for other purposes (Food and Agriculture Organization, n. d.). As such, it is important for concerned entities to keep monitoring groundwater levels. The other problem caused by irrigation is the degradation of irrigated land. Irrigation may result in a wide array of problems such as soil acidification, alkalization, salinization, and waterlogging (Food and Agriculture Organization, n. d.). For instance, waterlogging may result in minerals being carried down into the soil where the plants cannot reach.
References
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n. d.). Barriers. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1404150139578 ee3a6bc655a236dceba367adcfb8c982/FEMA_P312_Chap_8.pdf
Food and Agriculture Organization. (n. d.). Major Impacts of irrigation and drainage projects. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/V8350E/v8350e09.htm
Global Forest Atlas. (2020). Dams. Retrieved from https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/land-use/infrastructure/dams
Grogan, D. S., Wisser, D., Prusevich, A., Lammers, R. B., & Frolking, S. (2017). The use and re-use of unsustainable groundwater for irrigation: A global budget. Environmental Research Letters, 12(3), 034017.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n. d.). The water cycle. Retrieved from https://gpm.nasa.gov/education/water-cycle
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n. d.). What are the trends in the extent and condition of wetlands and their effects on human health and the environment. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/wetlands