Stormwater Management Exam 1 ACTUAL UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
List the 5 characteristics that make water unique stable, high specific heat, great buffer, expands at freezing, excellent solvent
Why is it critical that water stores a lot of energy? allows large bodies of water to cool or heat Earth to maintain a temperature
List the elements of the hydrologic cycle including 1/2-Evapotranspiration
driving forces 3-Condensation
4-Precipitation
5-Runoff
6-Inflitration
7-Subsurface flow
8-Base flow
9-Concentrated surface flow
10-interflow (seepage)
Driving forces:
1-Sun
2-Earth's rotation
3-Gravity
4-Residual heat from Earth
, What path does most of the rainfall onto the land surface Runoff
take in getting to the ocean?
Which hydrologic cycle element acts as a valve, infiltration
essentially controlling how fast the water moves?
Give an example of why it is important to think of the at any given time you can find water in any of the different locations, it is never in
hydrologic cycle over the 3-D landscape, and not just at one place and its always moving. It has not starting point
a point
How do higher stormwater flow rates generally affect In urban areas: increase in sediment, causes narrower, deeper, straighter streams
streams?
In rural areas: Wider, shallower, windier streams
Describe why stormwater tends to move a lot of Most pollutants/contaminants are on the surface.
contaminants. List at least 3 problems caused by 1. clogging of streams
sediment as a water contaminant. 2. impact on aquatic environment
3. sediment carries pollutants with it
What are the 2 main problems caused by nitrogen as a Causes aquatic life growth, aquatic plants consume nutrients and die, consumed
water contaminant? by other organisms, causes nitrite
1. Eutrophicaton
2. Converts to nitrites which displaces oxygen in blood ("blue baby syndrome")
What is the main water quality problem caused by eutrophication increases-lower dissolved O2 levels
phosphorus as a water contaminant?
List at least 3 common sources of nitrogen and septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure, industrial waste
phosphorus contamination of water. waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps
From the time that nitrogen is applied to a field surface, Nitrogen in presence of O2 converts to nitrate which is very mobile in water, then
how does it most commonly move through the is converted to Nitrite
environment?
From the time that phosphorus is applied to a field seepage into aquifer=>into streams
surface, how does it most commonly move through the
environment?
BOD is a measure of what (not what the abbreviation Biological oxygen demand:
stands for, but what it means)? Indicator of water quality problem, more organisms need more O2, measure of
organics in a water system
List the 5 characteristics that make water unique stable, high specific heat, great buffer, expands at freezing, excellent solvent
Why is it critical that water stores a lot of energy? allows large bodies of water to cool or heat Earth to maintain a temperature
List the elements of the hydrologic cycle including 1/2-Evapotranspiration
driving forces 3-Condensation
4-Precipitation
5-Runoff
6-Inflitration
7-Subsurface flow
8-Base flow
9-Concentrated surface flow
10-interflow (seepage)
Driving forces:
1-Sun
2-Earth's rotation
3-Gravity
4-Residual heat from Earth
, What path does most of the rainfall onto the land surface Runoff
take in getting to the ocean?
Which hydrologic cycle element acts as a valve, infiltration
essentially controlling how fast the water moves?
Give an example of why it is important to think of the at any given time you can find water in any of the different locations, it is never in
hydrologic cycle over the 3-D landscape, and not just at one place and its always moving. It has not starting point
a point
How do higher stormwater flow rates generally affect In urban areas: increase in sediment, causes narrower, deeper, straighter streams
streams?
In rural areas: Wider, shallower, windier streams
Describe why stormwater tends to move a lot of Most pollutants/contaminants are on the surface.
contaminants. List at least 3 problems caused by 1. clogging of streams
sediment as a water contaminant. 2. impact on aquatic environment
3. sediment carries pollutants with it
What are the 2 main problems caused by nitrogen as a Causes aquatic life growth, aquatic plants consume nutrients and die, consumed
water contaminant? by other organisms, causes nitrite
1. Eutrophicaton
2. Converts to nitrites which displaces oxygen in blood ("blue baby syndrome")
What is the main water quality problem caused by eutrophication increases-lower dissolved O2 levels
phosphorus as a water contaminant?
List at least 3 common sources of nitrogen and septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure, industrial waste
phosphorus contamination of water. waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps
From the time that nitrogen is applied to a field surface, Nitrogen in presence of O2 converts to nitrate which is very mobile in water, then
how does it most commonly move through the is converted to Nitrite
environment?
From the time that phosphorus is applied to a field seepage into aquifer=>into streams
surface, how does it most commonly move through the
environment?
BOD is a measure of what (not what the abbreviation Biological oxygen demand:
stands for, but what it means)? Indicator of water quality problem, more organisms need more O2, measure of
organics in a water system
