All Flashcards
Relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen?
As water temperature increases, dissolved oxygen decreases.
Why is reduced oxygen solubility harmful?
Stresses aquatic life, leads to fish kills, and promotes harmful algal blooms.
How do power plants cause thermal pollution?
Use water for cooling and release it back at a higher temperature.
How do cooling towers work?
Use evaporative cooling to reject waste heat to the atmosphere.
How does urbanization contribute to thermal pollution?
Paved surfaces absorb and retain heat, raising air and water temperatures.
How does agriculture contribute to thermal pollution?
Irrigation systems return water to sources at higher temperatures.
How do recreational activities contribute to thermal pollution?
Personal watercraft release warm exhaust into the water.
Define thermal pollution.
Increase in water temperature due to human activities, impacting aquatic ecosystems.
Define oxygen solubility.
The ability of oxygen to dissolve in water; decreases as temperature increases.
What is a cooling tower?
A structure that uses evaporative cooling to reject waste heat to the atmosphere.
Define heat island effect.
Urban areas experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to paved surfaces.
What are harmful algal blooms?
Rapid growth of algae that can deplete oxygen and block sunlight, harming aquatic life.
Relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen.
As water temperature increases, dissolved oxygen levels decrease. Inverse relationship.
Impact of thermal pollution on aquatic life.
Stresses aquatic life, reduces oxygen, disrupts reproduction, increases disease susceptibility.
How do power plants contribute to thermal pollution?
Use water for cooling and release it back at a higher temperature, decreasing oxygen solubility.
Role of urbanization in thermal pollution.
Paved surfaces absorb and retain heat, raising the temperature of air and water runoff.
How does agriculture cause thermal pollution?
Irrigation systems pump water and return it at a higher temperature, harming aquatic life.
Impact of recreational activities on thermal pollution.
Watercraft exhaust raises water temperatures, especially in small areas, affecting aquatic life.
How cooling towers reduce water temperature.
Cooling towers use evaporative cooling to reject waste heat to the atmosphere.
How cooling towers still contribute to thermal pollution.
They can release warm water as a byproduct of their cooling systems, contributing to thermal pollution.