Stormwater Management Exam 1
Questions With 100% Correct Answers |
Verified | Latest Update
List the 5 characteristics that make water unique CORRECT ANSWERS stable, high
specific heat, great buffer, expands at freezing, excellent solvent
Why is it critical that water stores a lot of energy? CORRECT ANSWERS allows large
bodies of water to cool or heat Earth to maintain a temperature
List the elements of the hydrologic cycle including driving forces CORRECT ANSWERS
1/2-Evapotranspiration
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 take in getting to the ocean?
CORRECT ANSWERS Runoff
Which hydrologic cycle element acts as a valve, essentially controlling how fast the
water moves? CORRECT ANSWERS infiltration
Give an example of why it is important to think of the hydrologic cycle over the 3-D
landscape, and not just at a point CORRECT ANSWERS at any given time you can find
water in any of the different locations, it is never in one place and its always moving. It
has not starting point
How do higher stormwater flow rates generally affect streams? CORRECT ANSWERS
In urban areas: increase in sediment, causes narrower, deeper, straighter streams
In rural areas: Wider, shallower, windier streams
, Describe why stormwater tends to move a lot of contaminants. List at least 3 problems
caused by sediment as a water contaminant. CORRECT ANSWERS Most
pollutants/contaminants are on the surface.
1. clogging of streams
2. impact on aquatic environment
3. sediment carries pollutants with it
What are the 2 main problems caused by nitrogen as a water contaminant? CORRECT
ANSWERS Causes aquatic life growth, aquatic plants consume nutrients and die,
consumed 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 phosphorus as a water contaminant?
CORRECT ANSWERS eutrophication increases-lower dissolved O2 levels
List at least 3 common sources of nitrogen and phosphorus contamination of water.
CORRECT ANSWERS septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure,
industrial waste waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps
From the time that nitrogen is applied to a field surface, how does it most commonly
move through the environment? CORRECT ANSWERS Nitrogen in presence of O2
converts to nitrate which is very mobile in water, then is converted to Nitrite
From the time that phosphorus is applied to a field surface, how does it most commonly
move through the environment? CORRECT ANSWERS seepage into aquifer=>into
streams
BOD is a measure of what (not what the abbreviation stands for, but what it means)?
CORRECT ANSWERS Biological oxygen demand:
Indicator of water quality problem, more organisms need more O2, measure of organics
in a water system
Describe a case in which you might be most interested in whether your contaminant
level exceeds some threshold value. CORRECT ANSWERS A Maximum Concentration
Level (MCL) has been set for dissolved oxygen in a stream
Describe at least 2 problems often experienced when looking for a contaminant
threshold level. CORRECT ANSWERS it is the maximum or minimum level of
contamination legally allowed in a stream meaning its already too high to too low
Describe a case in which you might be most interested in the mass transport of your
contaminant. CORRECT ANSWERS (TMDL) Total Maximum Daily Load set for a mass
base approach
Questions With 100% Correct Answers |
Verified | Latest Update
List the 5 characteristics that make water unique CORRECT ANSWERS stable, high
specific heat, great buffer, expands at freezing, excellent solvent
Why is it critical that water stores a lot of energy? CORRECT ANSWERS allows large
bodies of water to cool or heat Earth to maintain a temperature
List the elements of the hydrologic cycle including driving forces CORRECT ANSWERS
1/2-Evapotranspiration
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 take in getting to the ocean?
CORRECT ANSWERS Runoff
Which hydrologic cycle element acts as a valve, essentially controlling how fast the
water moves? CORRECT ANSWERS infiltration
Give an example of why it is important to think of the hydrologic cycle over the 3-D
landscape, and not just at a point CORRECT ANSWERS at any given time you can find
water in any of the different locations, it is never in one place and its always moving. It
has not starting point
How do higher stormwater flow rates generally affect streams? CORRECT ANSWERS
In urban areas: increase in sediment, causes narrower, deeper, straighter streams
In rural areas: Wider, shallower, windier streams
, Describe why stormwater tends to move a lot of contaminants. List at least 3 problems
caused by sediment as a water contaminant. CORRECT ANSWERS Most
pollutants/contaminants are on the surface.
1. clogging of streams
2. impact on aquatic environment
3. sediment carries pollutants with it
What are the 2 main problems caused by nitrogen as a water contaminant? CORRECT
ANSWERS Causes aquatic life growth, aquatic plants consume nutrients and die,
consumed 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 phosphorus as a water contaminant?
CORRECT ANSWERS eutrophication increases-lower dissolved O2 levels
List at least 3 common sources of nitrogen and phosphorus contamination of water.
CORRECT ANSWERS septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure,
industrial waste waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps
From the time that nitrogen is applied to a field surface, how does it most commonly
move through the environment? CORRECT ANSWERS Nitrogen in presence of O2
converts to nitrate which is very mobile in water, then is converted to Nitrite
From the time that phosphorus is applied to a field surface, how does it most commonly
move through the environment? CORRECT ANSWERS seepage into aquifer=>into
streams
BOD is a measure of what (not what the abbreviation stands for, but what it means)?
CORRECT ANSWERS Biological oxygen demand:
Indicator of water quality problem, more organisms need more O2, measure of organics
in a water system
Describe a case in which you might be most interested in whether your contaminant
level exceeds some threshold value. CORRECT ANSWERS A Maximum Concentration
Level (MCL) has been set for dissolved oxygen in a stream
Describe at least 2 problems often experienced when looking for a contaminant
threshold level. CORRECT ANSWERS it is the maximum or minimum level of
contamination legally allowed in a stream meaning its already too high to too low
Describe a case in which you might be most interested in the mass transport of your
contaminant. CORRECT ANSWERS (TMDL) Total Maximum Daily Load set for a mass
base approach
