...lead which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water-supply system must follow. Acute criteria An estimate of the maximum concentration of a constituent to which aquatic life can be exposed for short periods of time without detri mental effects. Algorithm A systematic procedure (usually repetitive) for solving a problem. Alluvium A general term for unconsolidated sedimentary accumulations deposited by rivers or streams. It includes sediment deposited in river beds and flood plains. Anhydrite gypsum. A calcium sulfate mineral (CaSO4) that alters readily to Common ions The group of constituents that includes calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate, and chloride and collectively constitute more than 95 percent of the dissolved solids for most natural waters. (An ion is an electrically charged particle.) Concentration The amount of a constituent present in a given volume of sample. Usually expressed as milligrams per liter or micrograms per liter for a water sample. Conceptual model A working model or hypothesis describing a phenome non or process that is difficult or impossible to observe directly. Confined Said of ground water that is under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere. When an aquifer is completely filled with water (fully satu rated) and is overlain by a confining unit, the water can be confined under pressure. Confined aquifer An aquifer that contains water that would rise above the top of the aquifer in a penetrating well; also...
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...Sedimentary Rocks Sedimentary rocks are very complex rocks that give us information on our past. Distinguishable characteristics such as color, size, and rounding of the sediments tell scientists about the environment that was once there long ago. How are the sediments formed to preserve this archive of our past? The system of how a rock is formed from sediment is complex and can occur without even knowing. The first step is the sediment. Sediments are tiny particles that are shaved off of rocks, soil, and other solid objects by a fluid source. These sources can include wind, water, and ice. In order to break down this process, the types of sediments must be introduced. Clastic Sediment Clastic sediment is formed from rock and mineral debris as a result of weathering and erosion. The clasts come in a variety of sizes and this is how they are classified. The biggest of the clasts is gravel. Gravel is classified as sediment with pea-sized or larger particles. When gravel becomes compacted and forms a rock, it is known as a conglomerate. The next type of clast is sand. Sand sediments are smaller than gravel, usually the size of a pinhead. When sand hardens, it forms a rock known as sandstone. Getting even smaller is silt. Silt is around the size of a grain of salt. Silt can form into siltstone once compacted and hardened. Finally, there is clay. Clay can be the size of flour particles, or even smaller. Mudstone or shale is the result of rock formation. Another type of sediment...
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...Material Sedimentary Rock Worksheet Use the following table to describe and distinguish between the effects of weathering and erosion. Each response must be at least 200 words. Effects of Weathering Effects of Erosion What are the Differences? Mechanical or physical weathering includes two main processes: fracturing and abrasion, which may be intense in wet and dry regions. Wind, rain, snow, ice and other geological events cause mechanical weathering. This type of weathering leads to splitting of rocks and minerals into fragments. Big and sudden changes in air temperature, which are very common in deserts or water temperature changes, always cause expansion or contraction of minerals. For example, when water enters a crack and freezes, it widens the crack and eventually leads to breaking of the surface. Plant roots have a similar effect when they grow so big that they reach the crack in the rock. At some point, the rock will fall apart. This type of weathering changes the mineral composition of rocks by chemical processes and it can sometimes lead to dangerous conditions. Water is the basic agent in chemical weathering because it initiates the whole process. Some of its effects are oxidation (rusting), hydration and carbonization. Chemical weathering also causes loss of chemical elements by solution in water. Caves, stalactites and stalagmites are created by different chemical processes of weathering Sheet erosion is soil movement from raindrop splash resulting...
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...Turtle) Behaviors: | Definitions: | Swimming | Wading through water as a means of getting from point A to point B. | Sun-Bathing | Prolonged on top of flat surface under the heating lamp with all four claws and neck stretched out. | Stretching | Top two, back two, or all four limbs reaching outward from the shell. | Relaxing | Lying on top of flat surface above the water. Simply resting with no means of being aware of its surroundings. | Sleeping | A period of rest, above or under the water, where the animal is not consciously aware of the environment. | Hiding | Concealed under or behind an object larger than the animal. Such as the cave, filter, or palm tree decoration. | Climbing | Ascending upwards using all four claws of the rocky surface to get above water. | Running | Rapidly traveling on foot on a stable surface by means of getting from point A to point B. | Walking | Slow travel on foot on a stable surface by means of getting from point A to point B. | Alert | Closely watching and being extremely conscious of the environment and surroundings. Usually after seeing or hearing an unusual being. | Floating | Hovering with shell and head protruding from the water, while the bottom of the shell and claws are underwater. | Clawing | To touch the rock roughly and continue to move claws back and forth. | Creeping | Paranoid, walking incredibly slowly across surfaces under or above water. | Chewing | Grinding food (shrimp, krill, and sticks) with teeth...
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...MINING AND WATER POLLUTION Water is essential to life on our planet. A prerequisite of sustainable development must be to ensure uncontaminated streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. There is growing public concern about the condition of fresh water in Canada. Mining affects fresh water through heavy use of water in processing ore, and through water pollution from discharged mine effluent and seepage from tailings and waste rock impoundments. Increasingly, human activities such as mining threaten the water sources on which we all depend. Water has been called “mining’s most common casualty” (James Lyon, interview, Mineral Policy Center, Washington DC). There is growing awareness of the environmental legacy of mining activities that have been undertaken with little concern for the environment. The price we have paid for our everyday use of minerals has sometimes been very high. Mining by its nature consumes, diverts and can seriously pollute water resources. Negative Impacts While there have been improvements to mining practices in recent years, significant environmental risks remain. Negative impacts can vary from the sedimentation caused by poorly built roads during exploration through to the sediment, and disturbance of water during mine construction. Water pollution from mine waste rock and tailings may need to be managed for decades, if not centuries, after closure. These impacts depend on a variety of factors, such as the sensitivity of local terrain, the composition of...
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...ES8005 – Chapter 1 A system is any portion of the universe that can be isolated for the purpose of observing & measuring changes A system must have a boundary that sets it apart from its surroundings 3 basic types of systems 1. Isolated system * Boundary prevents the system from exchanging BOTH matter & energy with its surroundings. * Both matter and energy within the system are fixed & finite because none can enter and none can leave the system. * Imaginary – impossible for any real boundary to be so perfectly insulated that energy can neither enter or escape. 2. Closed system * Boundary permits the exchange of energy, but not matter within its surroundings * Matter within the system is finite but energy is exchangeable in and out of the system 3. Open system * Boundary permits exchange of both energy and matter * Ie. Island. * Open systems are more difficult to study because they have more potential for uncontrolled variation Box model * A model is a representation of something. * A box model can show the essential features of a system. i. The process by which matter enters & leaves the system and the rates at which they do so ii. The process which matter moves among the various parts of the system internally & the rates at which this happens iii. The amount of matter (or energy) in the system at a given time and its distribution within the system * The amount of matter...
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...term Lithosphere is derived from Greek and means “rock layer. The lithosphere is approximately 65 to 100 km (40 to 60 mi) thick. Geologists regard the lithosphere as the relatively cool, outermost layer of the planet and view it as a rigid shell. The lithosphere is broken up into different plates. At a depth of about 100 km, the rigid, brittle rock of the lithosphere suddenly gives way to hot, soft, plastic rock of the asthenosphere. In this layer, rock is so hot and plastic that it flows readily even though it is solid. The asthenosphere extends from the base of the lithosphere to a depth of about 350 km. At the base of the asthenosphere, the mantle again becomes more rigid and less plastic, and it remains in this state all the way down the core. The Earth’s lithosphere consists if crust and the upper mantle. THE STRUCTURE Earth has a diameter of about 12,756 km (7,972 mi). The Earth's interior consists of rock and metal. It is made up of four main layers: 1) the inner core: a solid metal core made up of nickel and iron (2440 km diameter) 2) the outer core: a liquid molten core of nickel and iron 3) the mantle: dense and mostly solid silicate rock 4) the crust: thin silicate rock material Earth's Crust: There are two different types of crust: thin oceanic crust that underlies the ocean basins and thicker continental crust that underlies the continents. These two different types of crust are made up of different types of rock. The thin oceanic crust is composed...
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...stream channel characteristic to see how they vary downstream. * Does the stream get wider and deeper downstream? * Does a rock sample vary downstream? 2. Examine the different erosional and depositional features of the river. 3. To investigate the impact of humans downstream. methodology On this field trip we went to Wag Water River. We use material such as rulers, stop watch, sketches and description of sites was made; method of observation was used to see how humans use the river for various reasons. Along the river channel group of student did the following at different points; Velocity: we measure the velocity of the river atleast three times to get an accurate measurement, we calculate the average. The velocity of the river was measured with a half filled bottle of water placed in the water at a given distance of 30m for some seconds (velocity=distance/time (seconds).The stream was also measured before and after tributary to show effect of tributaries, and deposit load which affects flow of the river stream and this was calculated by (cross section x velocity), then we compare the stream discharge at different sites and accounted for the differences. After we did that we also measured the depth of the river, we used the meter rule for this measurement, for every meter we measured the depth then we find the average. Rock samples were also taken to classified as: very angular, angular, sub-angular, sub- rounded, rounded and well-rounded and measured...
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...weight) 2. What is mineral? Describe the six physical and two chemical properties used to identify minerals. Minerals are substances formed naturally in the Earth. They have a definite chemical composition and structure. Physical: The physical characteristics of minerals include traits that are use to identify and describe mineral species. * Cleavage is tendency of a crystalline mineral to break in certain directions yielding more or less smooth planar surfaces. These planes of lowest bond energy have minimum value of cohesion. An amorphous body of course has no cleavage. * Parting is obtained when the mineral is subjected to external force. The mineral breaks along planes of structural weakness. The weakness may result from pressure and twinning. Parting resembles cleavage. * Hardness. It is mineral's "scratchability". It is related to the attraction force between atoms. The degree of hardness is determined by observing comparatively the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral is scratched by another, or by a finger nail, file or knife. * Diapheneity is the amount of light transmitted or absorbed by a solid. It is used strictly for hand specimens because most minerals that are opaque as hand specimen becomes transparent when very thin. * Luster. The appearance of a specimen in reflected light is a useful property that is often used in tables and flow charts to initially divide minerals into two groups. The basic distinction to be made...
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...animal life for food, water, Sunshine, and the Earth and land, we are able to live and breed to continue onward. In this presentation, the element of water resources will be explored and given a voice and praise. We will look at one water source, in particular, the Edwards Plateau Aquifer. This Aquifer developed over millions of years’ time, to be the faithful water supplier we all know in Texas. The water is naturally cycled through limestone and still needs some treatment after it has been in the ground in this matrix of limestone rock beneath. This water supplies many towns and cities in the region and spans thirteen counties. It is fed by rivers, creeks, and tributaries along the distance (Eckhardt, 2011). Because of the cracks, faults, fractures, sinkholes, and caves, the rivers and streams too, can be contaminated carrying the pollutants to the recharge zone, therefore it must be checked often for quality control. The Edwards Aquifer Authority, along with other groups, like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Geological Survey, monitor the aquifer for anything toxic which can cause illness or diseases to ensure safe water is supplied through the wells the aquifer services every day (Edwards Aquifer Authority, 2006). Of course there are all kinds of rocks and rock formations included in the geologic make-up of the Edwards Plateau, but the primary types of rocks involved are limestone and sandstone, both sedimentary rocks, but also calcium...
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...Associate Level Material Sedimentary Rock Worksheet Use the following table to describe and distinguish between the effects of weathering and erosion. Each response must be at least 200 words. |Effects of Weathering |Effects of Erosion |What are the Differences? | |Weathering is a process in which the |Erosion is a natural process and can be |The main difference between these two | |surface of rock starts to break down. Two |healthy for the ecosystem. When material is|processes seems to be that while weathering| |types of weathering exist: chemical and |removed from one location, it is inevitably|causes effects at the site of the rock, | |mechanical. |placed somewhere else; this is called |erosion causes effects at a site other than| |Chemical weathering occurs when the rock |deposition. Both erosion and deposition are|that which was weathered. Weathering | |begins to break down and the chemical |natural processes. But when human |involves two processes that often work in | |composition changes as a result. These |activities substantially alter, increase or|concert to decompose rocks. Both processes | |chemical reactions break down the bonds |impede the natural movement of sediment, |occur in place. No movement is involved in | |holding the rocks together, causing them to|serious damage can occur. As stated, human...
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...The Rock Cycle Thesis: * The rock cycle is a continuous process that occurs over millions of years. It makes new rock, destroys old rock, and recycles the ingredients of the Earth's crust over and over again! Rocks come in cool colors, shapes, textures, and sizes and are found all around you, but how much do you really know about them? What is a Rock? * Simply put a rock is a group of minerals bound together. * Can consist of largely one mineral or several minerals. 3 Types of Rocks * Igneous * Sedimentary * Metamorphic Igneous Rocks * Igneous rocks are formed by the cooling and hardening of hot, molten rock, or magma, from inside the earth. * Begins as magma, a liquid and complex mixture of minerals. * 3 ways magma forms: heating a rock, releasing pressure on a rock, or changing the composition of a rock. * The rate of cooling changes the composition and texture of igneous rocks. * Magma that reaches the earth's surface is called lava. * Quick cooling lava/magma forms fine-grained igneous rocks * Slow cooling lava/magma forms course-grained igneous rocks. Formations * 2 types of igneous rocks; plutonic (intrusive) and volcanic (extrusive). * Intrusive rocks are formed from underground magma, and they solidify in the earth's crust and cool slowly. * Extrusive rocks are formed at the earths surface and they solidify on the earth's crust and cool rapidly. Sedimentary Rocks * Created when erosion...
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...Study Guide: Midterm Exam Concentrate your studies in the following areas. Questions for the Midterm Exam will come principally from this material. Lutgens and Tarbuck Textbook: Minerals (Chapter 1) * Know the definition of a mineral. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance that is solid and inorganic representable by a chemical formula, usually abiogenic, and has an ordered atomic structure. It is different from a rock, which can be an aggregate of minerals or non-minerals and does not have a specific chemical composition. The exact definition of a mineral is under debate, especially with respect to the requirement a valid species be abiogenic, and to a lesser extent with regard to it having an ordered atomic structure. * Know the basic definition of a rock. * In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids. For example, the common rock granite is a combination of the quartz, feldspar and biotite minerals. The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. * Know how atoms of the same element are related. What do they have in common? All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons in the nucleus and consequently have the same atomic number. All atoms of the same neutral element have the same number of electrons as well. Atoms of an element usually have the same number of neutrons as protons. Atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons are called isotopes...
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...| Sedimentary Rocks | Sci. 245 Week 5 Assignment | | Bree Odion | 7/24/2011 | | SEDIMENTARY ROCKS Introduction to Sedimentary Rocks The most common rock on Earth’s surface is sedimentary. Sandstone, limestone, and salt are all forms of sedimentary rocks to name a few. (National Atlas of the United States n.d.) This paper will explore the origination of sedimentary rocks; categories associated with sedimentary rocks; and compare the distinguishing characteristics of the three. The discussion will also include how sedimentary rocks are formed and affect of plate tectonics on rocks. Sedimentary rocks are our best records today of how our earth is changing everyday and the best to describe to us why it is changing. Not only can geologists tell based on the shape, and deposits made of sediment but we can tell by the fossils that are made within the sediment rock. This allows us to know things about our earth from billions of years ago that we may have not known if h had not been for sediment. Where Sedimentary Rocks Originate Sedimentary rocks originate from the weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks. When sediment is deposits it lithifies to create new rocks. Sedimentary rocks occur when sediments, weathered fragments from older rocks as well as biological debris like leaves, trees, and dead animals, are deposited and stay in place long enough for rock to form. It is known that sedimentary rocks contain sandstones, shale’s, and coal seams...
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...About 20% of our country is underlain by “karst terrain” and is susceptible to a sinkhole event. The most damage from sinkholes tends to occur in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. In west-central Florida and elsewhere, their increasing frequency of sinkholes corresponds to the accelerated development of ground-water and land resources. Most of Florida is prone to sinkhole formation because it is underlain by thick carbonate deposits that are susceptible to dissolution by circulating ground water. Florida’s principal source of freshwater, ground water, moves into and out of storage in the carbonate aquifers (most productive). Development of these ground-water resources (municipal, industrial and agricultural water supplies) creates regional ground-water-level declines that play a role in accelerating sinkhole formation, thereby increasing susceptibility of the aquifers to contamination from surfacewater drainage. Such interactions between surface-water and ground-water resources in Florida play a critical and complex role in the long-term management of water resources and ecosystems of Florida’s wetlands SINKHOLES ARE A NATURALLY OCCURRING IN FLORIDA LANDSCAPE The exposed land mass that constitutes the Florida peninsula is only part of a larger, mostly submerged carbonate platform that is partially capped with a sequence of relatively insoluble sand and clay deposits. In west-central Florida, the relation between the carbonate surface...
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