BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 454
12.3 Water Quality and Its Effects
Key Terms
acid precipitation
Did You Know?
Beluga whales in the
St. Lawrence and Saguenay
Rivers have been found with
levels of toxins (poisonous
chemicals) almost 100 times the
levels found in their Arctic Ocean
relatives. Marine biologists have
traced the toxins to industrial
wastes and farm pesticides that
are first eaten by the belugas’
of favourite food, the American eel.
t
454 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth
on Living Things
Water is essential to the survival of every organism on Earth. Yet many factors,
natural and human-related, can interfere with the water cycle and the quality of the
water at various stages of the cycle. When this happens, the life that exists in aquatic
environments can change, often not for the better. Human activities are a particular
concern because they can lead to rapid and sometimes devastating changes in the
water resources on which we all rely, especially clean drinking water.
For centuries, humans have used rivers and oceans as dumping
grounds for garbage, sewage, and other waste. We are only learning
now that even though organisms living in the water can break down
a great deal of the waste materials, we are simply putting too much
material into the system.
Water is considered a renewable resource because it is recycled in
the water cycle. People get their water from lakes, rivers, and ground
water. However, in many places in the world, we are using water faster
than it can be recycled. Large rivers, such as the Colorado River in
the United States (shown in Figure 12.12), are being reduced to small
streams because so much water has been removed.
In this section, you will learn about some of the different factors
that can affect the water cycle and the problems that humans are
creating for their water supply. You will also learn about methods for
treating water to make it drinkable.
A
B
Figure 12.12 So much water is
being taken out of the Colorado
River for human use that even
though it has a lot of water near its
beginning (A), it barely trickles near
its mouth (B) as it approaches the
Sea of Cortes, Mexico.
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 455

12-5 How Your Actions Affect

the World Think About It

As we go about our day-to-day life, we generally do
not think about what impact our activities and actions
may be having on the environment, either immediately
or at some time later. Yet, many of the activities that
are part of our daily routine could have a great impact
on environments—even those far away from where
you live. Being aware of how our actions affect other
things in the world is a first step to taking
responsibility for their outcomes. This is sometimes
referred to as an ethical responsibility. Some outcomes
can be good and some can be bad.
Consider how your actions might be affecting the
ocean. Think of all the things you do from the time you
get up in the morning until the time you go to bed at
night. Make a two-column table with the headings
“Activity” in the left column, and “How It Affects the
Ocean” in the right column. Write down as many
examples as you can think of. Share your answers
with the class.

Sources of Water Pollution

Pollution is a term that refers to any of numerous types of harmful
materials that are released into the environment through natural or
human activities. Air, soil, and water can all become polluted.
Pollution can be caused directly (point source) or indirectly (non-
point source).

Point sources
Point sources of pollution are those that come from a small, specific
area, such as a landfill leak or a factory or mill pumping waste water
into a river (Figure 12.13). This type of pollution is easy to identify
because the material can be traced to the source. Other point sources
include oil spills, underground storage containers for gas stations,
sewage systems, and waste water treatment plants (Table 12.1).
Because these sources are single locations that can be detected, they
are usually simple to recognize and control.

Table 12.1 Point Sources of Pollution

Point Source Description of Pollution
Resource industry Leaks from oil and gas drilling
Recreational Oil spills from boats and cars
Marine transportation Garbage from freighters, cruise ships, and tankers
Industrial Waste water from factories, mills and power plants

Figure 12.13 Example of a point

source of pollution

Chapter 12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things. • MHR 455
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM
Did You Know?
When we think of oil polluting
the oceans, we usually picture
giant oil tankers crashing into
rocks and spilling their thick,
gooey cargo. However, oil spilled
or poured down drains during
routine maintenance of cars,
trucks, and machinery accounts
for 10 times the amount of oil
spilled into the ocean every year.
In 2005, that was almost
1.5 billion litres, enough to
change the oil in 300
million cars.
Figure 12.14 Example of a non-
point source of pollution
456 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth
Page 456
Non-point sources
Have you ever noticed the dark, shiny area that runs down the middle
of the road? This dark band on the pavement is the result of rubber
residue and oil that has leaked from cars and trucks. Eventually, rain
washes this material into storm drains and sewers, and the contaminated
water is carried to a river and then to the ocean. Just 1 L of oil can
pollute 1 million litres of water. If you were to add up the number of
roads there are in British Columbia and then think about the amount
of rainfall we receive, you would quickly see that a lot of water can
become polluted. It is not just oil that gets washed into storm drains.
Pesticides and fertilizers from lawns, animal wastes from parks and
farms, and run-off from city streets and driveways are also a problem
(Figure 12.14).
These are all examples of non-point sources of pollution. Non-
point sources of pollution are those that come from many different
sources, not just one. Table 12.2 shows several examples. There are a
number of ways that such pollution can get into the water system. This
makes non-point sources a difficult type of pollution to control. Many
small sources can combine to cause major environmental damage. The
most effective way of dealing with the problem of this type of
pollution is public education and awareness.
Table 12.2 Non-point Sources of Pollution
Non-point Source Description of Pollution
Land development Industrial spills, increased run-off, increased sediments in water
Agriculture Pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste
Storm water run-off Oil, chemicals, and other contaminants from industrial,
commercial, and residential sources
Sewage treatment Sewage leakage, causing bacterial contamination
Forestry Increased run-off, increased sediments in water, increased erosion
Air pollution from Air filled with particles and toxins that become deposited in
automobiles water supplies
and industry
Water activities Gas and oil spills from boats
One of the most important sources of water to be affected by
non-point pollution is ground water. Polluting chemicals that are
spilled onto the ground can find their way into ground water and then
aquifers. Ground water flowing through aquifers takes a long time to
move through the pore spaces in rock. Therefore, pollutants reaching
aquifers may contaminate (meaning, spoil or even poison) water
supplies for hundreds of years.
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 457

The Effects of Water Pollution

Everybody needs clean water to drink, and
many manufacturing, construction, and mining
industries require enormous amounts of water
to operate. Yet, humans have the greatest effect
on the quantity and quality of the world’s water
supply through both population growth and
expanding industrial development. As noted
above, many materials can endanger the quality
of water. Those materials may be chemical (for
example, acid rain), physical (for example, oil
spills), and even biological (for example,
bacteria). Any negative effect on water is, in
turn, felt by all the organisms depending on it
(Figure 12.15).
Because oceans are so large and once
seemed bottomless, they have long been a
favourite dumping ground for large amounts
of human waste. From old oil and garbage to
untreated sewage and industrial waste,
pollutants have been dumped in oceans for
thousands of years, with little thought of the
consequences. Fortunately, there are laws today to stop people from Figure 12.15 Human activities
doing those things, but many problems still exist. Natural processes have an impact on marine
environments.
do decompose (break down) a lot of polluting materials, but cannot
keep up when quantities of pollutants are so large or their levels of
toxicity (how poisonous something is) are so high. There are also
many materials, such as plastics and various chemicals (for example,
mercury and lead) that the oceans simply cannot decompose.
Most pollution in the world’s oceans is found along the coasts of
continents, which is where most of the world’s population lives.
Environments such as beaches and estuaries are particularly sensitive internet connect
because the pattern of water flow can trap pollutants there. Chemical
Researchers debate whether
pollutants in the water are absorbed by shellfish and other marine long-term exposure to toxic
creatures. If people eat contaminated seafood, they can become materials can cause
seriously ill or even die. Solid waste is also a major problem in oceans. organisms to develop
If the material dumped there is not biodegradable (meaning it cannot unusual changes, or
decompose naturally), it will float on surface currents of the oceans mutations, in their basic
until it washes up on shore. A plastic coffee cup or bottle may last for body structures. To learn
tens of thousands of years. Many different types of sea life die each more about natural mutation
year after becoming tangled up in plastic bags, plastic can holders, and and its possible links to
pollution-caused mutation,
fishing line. Larger mammals such as dolphins and whales often choke
go to www.bcscience8.ca.
to death by mistaking plastic materials for food.

Chapter 12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things. • MHR 457
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM
Did You Know?
On rare occasions, pollution may
actually help the population
of a species. In the 1950s, for
example, large amounts of
phosphates (chemicals used in
fertilizers) ended up in Kootenay
Lake, British Columbia. The
phosphates helped increase
the population of plankton,
which biologists believe
helped increase the population
of Kokanee trout in the lake.
internet connect
The acidity of water can differ
by quite a large amount
depending on location. Start
at www.bcscience8.ca to
find out about the pH levels
of your local streams and
lakes.
458 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth
Page 458
Although major accidents with oil tankers get a lot of attention
in the news because they result in severe contamination of coastal
environments, those incidents are rare. They also represent only a
small amount of the total oil pollution that affects oceans. In fact,
most of that oil pollution comes from people on land doing regular
maintenance on their cars. Often they will spill or pour used engine
oil down the drain (and a typical oil change for a car may require
3–5 L of oil). Eventually, much of this oil makes its way into the
water system and out to the ocean. Also damaging to the ocean are
the many small spills made by freighters, tankers, and other ships.
Even small refuelling spills from pleasure craft (such as motorboats
and sailboats) can damage local ecosystems (Figure 12.16).
Figure 12.16 Careful refuelling by boaters helps avoid spills.
Acid precipitation
Land is not the only source of pollution affecting water. Water
pollutants coming from industry and transportation are carried by the
wind. Pollution can then fall from the sky in the form of dissolved
chemicals. Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide get into the atmosphere
as a result of the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal. The
chemicals combine with water in the atmosphere to form sulfuric and
sulfurous acid, and nitric and nitrous acid. When this material falls to
Earth, it is called acid precipitation (Figure 12.17).
What is acid precipitation like? You have probably tasted vinegar
at some time in your life. Now imagine trying to swim in a pond of
vinegar. That is what it is like for the organisms trying to live in a lake
that has been exposed to acid precipitation.
It is true that every water supply has some acidity in it from natural
sources. Water supplies come from rainwater that fills reservoirs on the
surface of the ground (such as lakes) or sinks into aquifers under the
ground (as discussed in section 10.3).
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM
1 Burning fuels from
factories and vehicles
produce sulfur dioxide
and nitrogen oxides.
blowing winds
Figure 12.17 The spread of acid precipitation
All rainwater is therefore
slightly acid. Bacteria and
decomposing plant and animal
matter are other major
contributors to acid levels. The
problems with acid
precipitation start when it
increases acidity in the
environment to higher-than-
normal levels. Once acid
precipitation gets into a water
system, it can kill plants and
animals. It may even destroy
entire lakes or forests. Trees
and other vegetation cannot
grow on soil that is highly
acidic. By monitoring water
quality, hydrologists can tell
when acidity is reaching a level
of concern (Figure 12.18).
Page 459
2 Winds blow gases 3 Gases dissolve
over long distances. in water vapour
to produce
sulfuric acids
and nitric acids, Leatherback turtles,
which fall to
considered critically
Earth with
precipitation. endangered in waters near
the equator, have been seen
off the southern coast of
Haida Gwaii (the Queen
Charlotte Islands). These
animals weigh almost as
much as a Volkswagen Beetle.
The world population of these
giant turtles has dropped by
90 percent in the past century
because of toxic chemicals in
the ocean. To learn about the
Vancouver Aquarium’s
program, “The Great Canadian
Shoreline Cleanup,” which
4 Ecosystems and lakes hopes to clear our coastlines
are damaged. of pollution and help animals
such as the leatherback turtle,
go to www.bcscience8.ca.
Suggested Activity
Find Out Activity 12-6 on
page 461
Figure 12.18 This hydrologist is testing the
quality of a sample of water.
Chapter 12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things. • MHR 459
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 460

Acidity, the strength of acid, is measured on a 14-point “pH” scale

(Figure 12.19), which indicates how acidic or basic (alkaline) a
substance is. For example, vinegar has a pH of 2.8. Detergents used for
washing clothes are basic, with a pH of about 10. Neutral materials,
those that are neither acidic nor basic, have a pH of about 7.0.
Precipitation is considered to be “acid” when it has a pH of less than
5.0.
acid precipitation
most acidic normal average pH
rain recorded rain human of the Great Lakes
vinegar blood
2.0 2.8 5.6 7.4 8.3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Acidic Neutral Alkaline

(Basic)

Figure 12.19 The pH scale

In British Columbia, electricity is produced by using running water

to generate power. In the United States and eastern Canada, however,
electricity is produced mainly from coal-burning power plants. The
problem of acid precipitation is therefore far greater in Ontario than it
is in this province.
Gases that form acid precipitation are not the only toxic materials
carried by air pollution. Heavy metals (elements such as lead, arsenic,
and mercury) also reach the atmosphere. They are then deposited on
the ground by acid precipitation and make their way into the water
system. Environments that have been exposed to large amounts of
heavy metals become drastically altered.

Reading Check
1. What is acid precipitation?
2. Name the chemicals that combine with water to form acid
precipitation.
3. How does organic material contribute to the acidity of the water
in a lake?
4. Why is acid precipitation a bigger problem in Ontario than in
British Columbia?
5. Heavy metals that mix with water can contaminate water systems.
Name two heavy metals.

460 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth

BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/23/06 12:54 PM Page 461

12-6 Measuring pH of Different

Find Out ACTIVITY
Types of Water

The level of acidity of water can be measured using pH What to Do

paper. The lower the pH a sample of water has, the
greater the water’s acidity is. Materials at the other end
of the pH scale are said to be basic. Bases you can find
at home include antacids, milk of magnesia, baking
soda, and ammonia. Fresh, pure water is considered
neutral and has a pH of about 7.0. In this activity, you
will measure and compare the pH of a variety of liquids.
Safety
1. Using the medicine droppers, place a small sample
of each liquid on a spot plate. Label them A
through F with the grease pencil.
2. Dip a small strip of pH paper in each of the
samples on the spot plate.
3. Sample A is a control for an acid and B is a control
for a base. Record the colour (pH) of each.
4. Measure the colour (pH) of samples C to F. Record
your observations.

What Did You Find Out?

• Be careful when handling acid.
1. Which end of the pH scale was the rainwater
• Caution: A strong base (such as an oven cleaner) is closest to?
just as dangerous as a strong acid.
2. Ideally, pure water should be close to a pH of 7.0.
Materials What was the pH of your tap water?
• pH paper with colour index 3. What was the pH of the pond water? Explain why
• reusable medicine droppers or disposable pipettes you got this result.
• samples of:
A: HCl or vinegar (acid)
B: ammonia (base)
C: tap water
D: rainwater
E: pond water
F: unknown liquid
• spot plate with at least six wells
• grease pencil

Chapter 12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things. • MHR 461
 BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 462
Think Globally, Act Locally:
Watching Our Waterways
For generations, First Nations people have used the
rivers of British Columbia for transportation, as a food
source, and as a supply of drinking water. The first
European explorers travelled into the Canadian
wilderness using rivers as highways. Even today, the
economy of the province remains closely linked to its
e,
rivers, which are used for transporting goods such as
logs and minerals from the Interior to the coast,
irrigating farm land and orchards, and providing
people with a wide variety of recreational activities.
How can we show our appreciation for the rivers
that contribute so much to our lives? One way is to
hold a celebration. The United Nations has designated
September 25 as World Rivers Day. Every year on that
day, millions of people in countries around the world
join together to celebrate their waterways. The person
who first came up with the idea is Mark Angelo, who
was head of the Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation Program
at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in
Burnaby in 1980. He, with the support of others,
wanted to find a way to help the public understand
the importance and fragile nature of the rivers around
them. Their focus was just local at first, but soon
people all across Canada were holding events to
celebrate their rivers. Before long, that one good idea
started by a single person turned into a worldwide
environmental event.
462 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth
Another way we can show our appreciation for
rivers is to monitor them to ensure they stay healthy.
Because there are so many rivers in the province, many
of which are very long, it takes numerous people to
check them. One group in British Columbia that is
committed to monitoring our waterways is the Pacific
Streamkeepers Federation. The group, made up of
hundreds of people around the province, encourages
the public to become involved in watching over the
physical condition of their local rivers and streams.
Some of the features monitored are listed below.
Feature Description
Water quality Testing can reveal whether dissolved
minerals and chemicals are present, or
exist in unsafe amounts, in the water.
Stream The amount and types of invertebrates
invertebrates in a river or stream indicate the quality
(spineless animals of stream water and whether the water
that live on river provides a good habitat for animals.
bottoms)
Riverbank The quantity and types of vegetation
vegetation living on the edges of rivers and streams
indicate the health of the waterway as
a habitat for plants and animals.
Salmonids Monitoring the quantity and health of
small fish can indicate whether the
water in a river or stream is clean, and
whether the watershed that feeds the
river is free from pollutants.
Questions
1. Why are rivers an important part of the
economy of British Columbia?
2. How does vegetation on the side of a stream
contribute to the health of that stream?
3. People all over the world share environmental
concerns over issues such as the pollution of
waterways. What do you think it means to
“think globally, act locally”?
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 463

Checking Concepts
P ause and R eflect
1. List two ways humans can affect water
quality. In this section, you have read about the value of
2. Describe two human activities that affect the Earth’s water resources and what can happen if
quantity of water in a water system. water quality is damaged. Just as important for
3. (a) What is the difference between point humans and all living things is the quantity and
sources of pollution and non-point availability of clean water. Once in a while, some
sources? areas in British Columbia have water restrictions.
(b) Give three examples of each. This means that normal water use must be cut
4. Why is a point source of pollution easier to back to prevent the supply from running out.
control than a non-point source? What would you do if the water supply in
5. Define acid precipitation. your area became extremely low and you had to
limit your consumption? In your notebook, draw a
table like the one below and give it a title. Then
Understanding Key Ideas fill in the table with the activities from the data
6. The world’s oceans are very large compared to chart provided, deciding how you would categorize
the world’s land masses, but why is it not a each activity (essential, limited, or non-essential).
good idea to use the oceans as a garbage
dump? Activities That Use Water
7. Why is it important to decide at a worldwide Essential Limited Non-essential
level how much of the oceans each country (activities (activities that can (activities that can be
that be continued stopped completely
owns?
cannot be with limited until water supply is
8. How does acid precipitation affect more than stopped) amounts of water) refilled)
just the people living in the area it falls onto?
9. Imagine a coastal city whose factories, cars,
and trucks all release great amounts of
exhaust pollution into the atmosphere.
Several hundred kilometres inland, scientists Amount of Water Used for 10 Typical
discover a lake with a pH of 4.0. The Activities
scientists believe the city’s pollution has
Activity Average Amount
damaged the lake. of Water Used (L)
(a) Explain the likely cause of the pH in
Eating/drinking ~2
the lake. Washing hands 1
(b) How do you infer the city polluted Brushing teeth 4
the lakes? Flushing toilet 19
Shower 114
Bath 151
Washing the car 76
Watering the lawn 1900/hour
Washing dishes (machine) 57
Laundry (machine) 114/load

Chapter 12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things. • MHR 463
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:13 PM Page 464
Chapter
12
Prepare Your Own Summary
In this chapter, you investigated how changes
in water quality and quantity can affect living
things. Create your own summary of key ideas
from this chapter. You may include graphic
organizers or illustrations with your notes.
(See Science Skill 10 for help with using graphic
organizers.) Use the following headings to
organize your notes:
1. Freshwater Environments
2. Saltwater Environments
3. Water Quality and Its Effects on
Living Things
Checking Concepts
1. List any four of the five factors that
determine the variety and productivity of
plants and animals in a freshwater
environment.
2. List four ways that wetlands contribute to a
healthy environment.
3. If estuaries make up only 3 percent of
British Columbia’s coastline, why are they
so important?
4. Why do most marine organisms live in the
uppermost zone of the ocean?
5. What is meant by a point source of
pollution?
6. List three non-point sources of pollution.
7. Why can we not just leave it to natural
processes to decompose pollutants dumped
in the oceans?
8. Describe how acid precipitation becomes
part of the water cycle.
464 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth
Understanding Key Ideas
9. (a) Coral reefs can only form in shallow,
warm ocean water. Why do they have
some of the highest productivity of any
aquatic environment?
(b) Why do estuaries have a higher
productivity than the open ocean?
10. Use the following terms to label the ocean
zones shown in the diagram below: hadal,
twilight, midnight, abyssal, sunlight.
0m
200 m
1000 m
4000 m
6000 m
11000 m
11. Explain why organisms living at the ocean
bottom cannot live on a beach.
12. As the map that follows shows, sockeye
salmon travel great distances in the ocean
before returning to the freshwater rivers
where they were born. Each type of salmon
(chinook, pink, and the others) have a
different, but equally impressive, migration
path. How do you think marine biologists
have found out what the migration paths of
wild salmon are? Suggest at least two ways.
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/25/06 4:51 PM Page 465

15. Why can your drinking water be affected

by pollution in areas thousands of
kilometres away from you?
16. In many areas in the world that rely on
ground water for their water supply, so
Asia much water is being pumped from below
Alaska
British Columbia that the surface of the ground is actually
sinking. This is happening, for example,
in Mexico City and in some locations in
13. What effects can acid precipitation have on
Thailand and Arizona. In other areas, the
the natural environment?
water table is steadily falling because so
14. Copy the table below into your notebook
much water is being drawn out. (Think
and give the table a title. Then, using
of the level of juice falling in a glass as you
the diagram below to guide you, fill in
sip the liquid up through a straw.) Explain
the table. List as many sources of ocean
why this might be more of a problem in
pollution as you can, identify whether
some dry parts of the world than in areas
the source is point or non-point, and
that receive a lot of precipitation.
suggest how the pollution problem
might be solved.

Ocean Pollution P ause and R eflect

Source of Point or Suggestion for
Pollution Non-point Solving Problem
1.
In 1982, a United Nations committee developed
2. the Law of the Sea treaty. This agreement tried
3. to set rules for all coastal countries to follow in
using the world’s oceans and its resources. It
also laid out responsibilities for looking after
the oceans. Not all countries of the world
treated agricultural air pollution agreed to the treaty. Do you think all countries
industrial
sewage run-off should have to sign an agreement? Write a
waste
urban
mock letter to the United Nations explaining
run-off your point of view.

garbage oil spills

from boats

Chapter 12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things. • MHR 465
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 466

UNIT
4
10 The water cycle plays a vital role on Earth.
• Water is distributed throughout the • The effects of water can directly or
world, in the oceans, on the land, and indirectly change the surface of Earth.
in the ground. (10.1) (10.4)
• Ocean water is different from fresh
water. (10.2)
• There is a limited supply of usable
fresh water. (10.3)
• Most of Earth’s fresh water is frozen in
glaciers. (10.4)

11 Oceans control the water cycle.

• Technology allows humans to explore the
ocean to tremendous depths. (11.1)
• Currents in the ocean have a wide range of
effects all over the world. (11.2)
• Ocean waters influence the world’s climates.
(11.3)

12 Changes in water quantity and quality can affect living things.

• There are a variety of freshwater environments
on Earth. (12.1)
• The ocean has several distinct layers, each of
which contains unique organisms adapted for
the conditions. (12.2)
• There is a variety of saltwater environments
on Earth. (12.2)
• Humans are affecting the quality of water
on Earth. (12.3)

466 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth

BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 467

Key Terms
• arête • glaciers • salinity
• cave • gravity • solidification
• condensation • ground water • striations
• crevasse • hanging valley • sublimation
• delta • horn • weathering
• density • hydrologist (chemical,
• deposition • iceberg biological,
• erosion • karst physical)
• erratic • landslide
• esker • melting
• evaporation • moraine
• fiord • outwash
• freezing point • rapids

Key Terms
• abyssal plain • tectonic processes
• climate • tsunami
• continental shelf • turbidity currents
(slope and rise) • wind action
• convection
• ocean current
• oceanographer
• submarine canyon
• swell

Key Terms
• acid precipitation
• benthic zone
• estuary
• pelagic zone

Unit 4 Summary • MHR 467

BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 468
Being at Home at the Bottom:
Designing an Underwater Community
In this unit, you have learned much about
the importance of the oceans on our planet.
Humans have studied them from research
vessels on the water’s surface, from satellites
high above Earth, and from submarines and
remote-controlled vessels thousands of metres
down. Some submarines can stay under water
for a few months. The one thing humans
have not yet done is live under the sea for
years at a time.
Problem
Your challenge is to design an underwater
community that you and several other
adventurers could live in year round. The
purpose of the facility is to serve as a research
station so that people can learn much more
about the ocean environment. In making
your design, you will need to consider all you
have learned in this unit about ocean currents,
temperatures, and salinity, marine organisms,
and the nature of the ocean floor. Your
community must be located somewhere on
the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but where
in the Pacific is completely up to you.
Criteria
You must complete three drawings.
• A vehicle specially designed to take people
and supplies from the ocean’s surface down
to the community.
• A self-contained research facility.
• The community itself.
468 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth
Procedure
1. Working in a group with two or three other
classmates, decide what you would like to
study at the bottom of the ocean. Look
through the unit again if you need some
ideas.
2. Decide where you would like to be located
in the ocean. Research some locations that
would be suitable for the focus of study
you have chosen. Use a variety of sources
to help you decide, such as maps, atlases,
libraries, and the Internet. Your teacher will
give you some guidance, or go to
www.bcscience8.ca for suggestions.
3. Decide the number of people you will need
in your community and what occupations
and skills those people should have.
Remember that your community must be
able to meet all the needs of your
underwater crew. Therefore, you must have
plans for emergencies and accidents.
Report Out
1. Present your designs to the class. Compare
your design and location with what your
classmates chose.
2. Answer each of the following questions
with a brief paragraph in your notebook:
(a) What was the hardest thing to plan for
in your underwater community?
(b) When you compared your community
with other groups’ designs, did you
notice anything you were missing?
What would you change in your design
to make your community better?
(c) What did you learn from this activity:
(i) about the ocean?
(ii) about working in groups?
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/23/06 12:56 PM Page 469

Wrestling Energy from Waves

Using the energy of oceans to provide

electricity has been a tempting idea for years.
Some researchers have estimated that if we
could capture just a couple of hours’ worth of
the wave energy that pounds the coastlines of
the world on any given day, we would have
enough energy to power all the households in
British Columbia and Alberta for a whole year.
Until recently, however, technology did not
exist that could make this possible. Now, more
than 100 companies around the world are
Tidal power station in La Rance, France
racing to be the first to safely, efficiently, and
cheaply harness the energy of the oceans.
Find Out More
Background Choose one source of ocean energy from the
Using the oceans as a source of energy is table and research the methods used to convert
appealing for two important reasons: ocean the energy to electricity. Use the Internet (start
water is in good supply and the amount of at www.bcscience8.ca), magazines, and
energy available is tremendous. The main newspapers. In addition, you may want to
challenge is in designing the best way to contact universities that offer Oceanographic
harness that energy in a way that is not too Sciences or Earth and Ocean Sciences.
costly, or does not harm the environment.
Currently, scientists are concentrating on Report Out
three sources of energy from the oceans:
Create a poster to display the results of your
research. Be sure to include some information
Energy Source Description on historical attempts to harness ocean energy.
Organize a debate on the pros and cons
Ocean currents The force of undersea
of trying to use ocean energy. Consider
currents moves paddles or
the following factors:
blades around a wheel,
converting the energy of the (a) environment (Will the method affect sea
currents into electricity. life in any way?)
(b) transportation (How will the method affect
Ocean waves Floating machines transfer water transportation?)
wave energy into electricity.
(c) recreation (Will the method affect people’s
Tidal currents Spinning wheels (turbines) enjoyment of the beach or water?)
convert tidal power to
electricity.

Unit 4 Integrated Research Investigation • MHR 469

BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 470

UNIT
4
Visualizing Key Ideas
1. Copy and complete the diagram below using the following vocabulary:
condensation evaporation melting solidification sublimation

water cycle

lose heat energy gain heat energy

water vapour water turns water turns ice turns to solid CO2
forms droplets to ice to vapour (gas) water turns to gas

a b c
Using Key Terms
2. Match each of the following features of d

glacial erosion with the appropriate letter

from the drawing to the right.
(a) arête ___
(b) horn ___
(c) cirque ___
(d) hanging valley ___

3. Copy the following table into your notebook.

Then write each term from the vocabulary list below in the appropriate column.

Found Only Found on Land

in the Oceans and in Oceans

(a) abyssal plain

(b) turbidity current
(c) continental slope
(d) mountains
(e) volcanoes
(f) canyons
(g) tectonic processes

470 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth

BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 471
4. Classify each of the following descriptions as being a point source of pollution
or a non-point source of pollution. Put a check mark in the appropriate column.
(a) An ocean tanker spills thousands of litres of oil.
(b) Oil and grease run off from city streets.
(c) Fertilizers from farms leak into rivers.
(d) A landfill leaks toxins into groundwater systems.
(e) Industrial waste flows through storm sewers into rivers.
Checking Concepts
10
5. Where is most of Earth’s fresh water
located?
6. What is the main difference between water
found in the ocean and water found in a
lake?
7. How is water naturally stored in the
ground?
8. Which covers more ground surface: an
alpine glacier or a continental glacier?
Explain.
9. What is the name for the rapid movement
of rock material down a slope?
11
10. What are the large, flat areas of ocean
basins called?
11. Name three factors that affect surface
currents in the ocean.
12. Describe what happens when cold, dense
water meets warm, less dense water.
13. Define weather.
12
14. What are wetlands?
15. The ocean can be divided into two
different environments, one deep and the
other shallow. What scientific names are
given to each environment?
Point Source Non-point Source
of Pollution of Pollution
16. How is acid precipitation created?
17. Explain why acid precipitation is an
environmental concern.
Understanding Key Ideas
18. Sea level is considerably lower during
periods of ice ages. What do you infer
about the water going through the water
cycle during these periods?
19. Explain why chemical weathering is more
common in warm, wet climates than in
dry climates.
20. Besides erosion by rivers, describe two
other ways the surface of the land can be
changed by water.
21. Describe how the shape of a headland
compares with the shape of a bay.
22. Explain the following statement: “Climate
is affected by ocean water’s high heat
capacity.”
23. (a) Explain the connection between
weather and climate.
(b) Predict what would happen to
climates if ocean currents suddenly
stopped.
24. Outline the similarities and differences
between wetland environments and
estuary environments.
Unit 4 Review • MHR 471
BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 472

UNIT
4
Thinking Critically 28. Winds have a great effect on the surface
currents of the oceans. Deeper down in
25. The salinity of ocean water at the equator
the ocean, however, the effect of wind is
is high because the Sun causes water to
minor, but there is still much movement
evaporate, leaving salt behind. If this was
of the water. Write a short paragraph
the only process acting on ocean water,
describing the factors that cause currents
there would be far more salt than water in
in deep ocean water.
oceans. Explain why this is not happening.
29. Explain why weather along a coast near an
26. Rock in Earth’s crust has a density of
ocean is different from weather farther
about 2.6 g/cm3. Ice has a density of
inland.
0.92 g/cm3. If asked to say which was
30. What factors affect the variety and
harder, most people would choose rock.
productivity of plants and animals in a
Explain how it is possible for glaciers to
freshwater environment?
carve U-shaped valleys through solid rock.
27. The figure below shows the location of
South America and Africa on opposite
sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Developing Skills
continents are about the same distance 31. A sample of rock from the ocean floor is
away from the ridge. The oldest rock on found to be 15 million years old. If the
the ocean floor is about 200 million years sample was collected from an oceanic plate
old, and can be found at the continental that was 300 km from a spreading ridge,
margins. What do the present locations of how fast is the plate moving away from
South America and Africa suggest about the ridge?
their locations 200 million years ago?

mid-Atlantic ridge

South Atlantic Ocean

America

Africa

e
merican plat African plate
South A

Heated material rises, pushing the plates apart

as they produce new sea floor material.

472 MHR • Unit 4 Water Systems on Earth

BCS_G8_U4C12_j20 5/8/06 12:14 PM Page 473

32. As you have learned in this unit, most (d) If the glacier is 2.0 km long right
glaciers around the world are receding now, how long will it take to
(melting). The table below shows the completely disappear if its average rate
amount a particular glacier has receded of receding does not change?
over a five-year period. 33. Discharge is the measure of the volume of
water passing a given point in a given
Year Amount Glacier Has Receded (m) amount of time. A river’s discharge is not
constant throughout the year. The graph
2001 3.0 below shows the discharge for Britashan
2002 2.5 River, British Columbia, over one full year.
2003 4.0 Refer to the graph to answer the following
2004 6.8 questions.
2005 7.3

Copy the following axes into your

high

Amount of run-off
notebook and then graph the data from
the table above.
Amount glacier receded (m)

8.0
7.0 low
6.0
5.0 Jan. March May July Sept. Nov.
4.0 Month of year
3.0
2.0 (a) In what months was the discharge for
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Britashan River the greatest?
Year (b) Explain why the discharge would be
greatest during these months.
(a) Once you have plotted your points,
(c) How does the amount of run-off affect
connect the dots with a smooth line.
the amount of discharge of a river?
What does the slope of the line
indicate about the amount the glacier
has receded in recent years?
(b) Why do you think the glacier has
receded by different distances each
year?
P ause and R eflect
(c) With a different coloured pen from
Now that you have completed Unit 4, Water
what you used in (a) above, draw a
Systems on Earth, look back at the key ideas
straight “best-fit” line through the
at the beginning of this unit. Write one
points. The slope of the line will give general question about each one. This will
you the average rate the glacier has provide you with a review of all the big ideas
receded during this period of time. discussed in the unit.
Calculate the average using the
formula: slope ⫽ rise/run. What is the
average rate the glacier has been
receding per year?

Unit 4 Review • MHR 473