Name ________________________________________________
Date _________________________
S6E3. a,b Study Guide
S6E3.a – Distribution of water on Earth
1. Water covers more than 70% of Earth’s surface. What
percent of the water on Earth is freshwater?
a. 3%
2. Using the table to the right, where is most of Earth’s
freshwater located?
a. Glaciers and permanent snow
3. A permeable rock layer that stores groundwater is called
aquifer.
4. Rivers, springs, and aquifers are all sources of freshwater.
5. What is the largest use of freshwater in the United States?
Irrigation/agriculture
6. An entire area of land that drains into a river or lake is
called a watershed.
7. Why would you think most of Earth’s freshwater would be
difficult to use?
a. Frozen in glaciers/most of the groundwater is not accessible
8. What are two main threats to the availability of useable groundwater?
1. Pollution
2. Overuse
9. In which room of the house does the typical American
family uses the largest % of water?
a. Bathroom (make sure to look at the different
sources and figure out which room they belong to)
10. What factor(s) could cause a drop in the water table for a
specific land area?
 Urbanization (parking lots, houses, building, etc)
 Drought/low rainfall
 Increase in well-drilling and pumping
S6E3.b – Stages of the Water Cycle
11.
Clouds are formed when millions of drops of water become suspended in the air.
Describe the basic process of cloud formation.
a. Condensation of water vapor
12. List four forms of precipitation?
1. Rain
2. Hail
3. Sleet
4. Snow
13.
Transpiration is the process of plants releasing water vapor into the air through tiny
openings in their leaves.
14.
What role does evaporation play in the water cycle?
a. moves water from the surface of Earth into the atmosphere
15. List four forms of condensation?
1. Fog
2. Clouds
3. Dew
4. Frost
16.
What is the driving energy source for the water cycle?
a. The sun
Use the diagram below to answer questions 17 and 18.
17. After the sun heats the water in #1, what stage of the water cycle is pictured in #2?
a. Evaporation
18. What stage of the water cycle is shown by #4?
a. Precipitation
19. The movement of water downward through openings in the soil is known as percolation.
20. As water is heated by the sun, it rises into the atmosphere where it is cooled and eventually
falls back to Earth. This circular motion of warmer air or liquid rising and then dropping
down as it cools happens due to convection.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions below:
We cannot live without water. It is our most important natural resource. You can live without oil or
natural gas. But you must have water to survive. It is used in households as well as industry and
farming. Groundwater supplies a lot of the demand. Groundwater is safer to use than surface water.
Because it is stored underground, it is not as exposed to pollution as surface water is. But groundwater
is not always safe. And once it is harmed, it is harder to clean up than surface water is. What are the
threats to our groundwater supply? What can we do to protect it? One of the biggest threats to our
groundwater supply is overuse. If water is pumped out of the ground faster than it is replaced, the
supply will decrease. This can cause another problem. As water is pumped from the ground, there is
less water pressure to help hold up the ground above. The land caves in. A sinkhole is formed. As
groundwater seeps through the soil, germs are filtered out. But sometimes chemicals and other
harmful materials get mixed in. Sewage and industrial waste can enter the recharge area. They move
with the groundwater into the aquifer. Wastes from farming can also harm groundwater. Chemical
sprays that kill weeds and insects can hurt the water supply. Decay from landfills can also enter
groundwater and pollute it. Aquifers that are fed by surface water are easily harmed by pollution.
Chemicals that are dumped into rivers can get into the water table. They can spread over a large area.
Sometimes nature pollutes the groundwater. Salt is not poisonous, but people cannot drink salt water.
Water tables close to the ocean can be harmed if saltwater mixes in with fresh groundwater. Radon is
another source of natural pollution. Radon is a radioactive gas. It can cause cancer. Radon is formed by
the decay of uranium in rocks. Most groundwater has traces of this gas. But areas that have a lot of
granite and shale have more radon. Homes in these areas need to be tested for radon gas.
Groundwater can be tested for pollution. If pollution is present, walls can be built around the aquifer.
They will hold in the polluted water so it won't move into other areas. The polluted water can be
pumped to the surface and cleaned up. This will get rid of the harmful materials in it. But we can't
always count on fixing the water supply when it is harmed. People need to be more aware of how their
activities threaten our water. Farmers need to be more cautious when they spray their plants. They
also need to be more careful where they spread fertilizers. There have been laws passed to help
protect our water. Industries cannot dump chemicals into our waters. Water treatment plants have
been built to help remove wastes from rivers and lakes. If we all work together, we can help make our
water safe.
21. Is Groundwater is safer to use than surface water and easier to clean up. Yes or No? Explain
your answer. No; explanations will vary from student to student
22. Can the overuse of groundwater lead to the formation of sinkholes. Yes or No? Explain your
answer. Yes; explanations will vary from student to student
23. List several ways in which groundwater gets contaminated?
a. Sewage
b. Chemical sprays
c. Decay from landfills
24. Salt and Radon are both sources of natural pollution in groundwater. True of False. True
25. Due to the fact that we have water treatment plants, we don’t need to worry about
protecting our water. True or False. False
Constructed Response – Use RACES to help organize your answer.
R – Restate question as the topic sentence
A – Answer the question by
C – Citing
E – Evidence to support your answer
S – Then summarize with your closing statement
Question: Describe the water cycle. Include the following information in your answer: Begin
by telling what the water cycle is and what powers it. Use the steps of the water cycle along with
definitions that describe what is happening in each stage of the cycle. Be sure to summarize by
telling why the water cycle is important to life on Earth. (Extra Credit: 50 points)
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