Name:___________________________________ Date:______________________
The Water Planet Chapter 1
Directions: Use the links shown to answer the following questions with complete
sentences.
The Nature of Water: “Water Basics”
http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=A6A15B0B-1
Explore the physical and chemical properties of water and the hydrologic cycle to
answer the following questions.
Water Basics
1. What is the chemical formula for water?
2. What is the density of water?
3. How long can a human live without water?
4. What is surface tension and how does it work?
5. Water has the ability to dissolve almost all substances found on Earth. Water is
known as the ______________ _________________.
The Hydrologic Cycle
http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=23CEC266-1
1. What is the Hydrologic Cycle? Draw and label a diagram of the Hydrologic Cycle
below.
2. How are runoff, groundwater, percolation and the water table connected to the Water
Cycle?
The Water Cycle: Water Storage in Ice and Snow
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleice.html
1. What is meant by water is in storage?
2. How much of Earth’s fresh water is stored in Antarctica?
3. How does ice influence Earth’s weather?
Next view the simulation “Groundwater in Different Aquifers”
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1401
/es1401page02.cfm
Follow the instructions and proceed through all 5 pages to answer the following
questions.
Introduction
1. What characteristics of a rock layer allow it to hold water?
A well simulation
2. What type of rock took the longest time to fill 1L of water?
3. How long does it take to fill 3L of water in a well surrounded by limestone?
Rock Types
4. What differences do you see in the material of each rock layer? Describe particle size,
particle shape, and the general shape and number of pore spaces in each rock.
Porosity and Permeability
5. What is porosity?
6. What is permeability?
7. Describe how the shape and number of pore spaces affect permeability of these three
rock types.
8. Explain why the sandstone had the highest flow rate.
9. Shale is composed of individual particles with pore spaces between them, similar to the
structure of sandstone. Why was the flow rate for shale so much lower than for the
sandstone?
10. How could limestone's ability to hold and transfer water be increased?
Results
11. After examining the ability for sandstone, limestone and shale to hold water, which
substance would be the best for well? Why?
The Geysers of Yellowstone
http://www.yellowstone.net/geysers/
1. Where is Yellowstone National Park?
2. What land feature does Yellowstone National Park sit in? How was it formed?
3. How were the thermal features, like geysers and hot springs, formed?
4.
At the top of the page, select the link for “Thermal Features”. How many and
what types of thermal features are found in Yellowstone? Describe a geyser and a
hot spring. What do geysers and hot springs have in common?
5. Compare and contrast hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles.
6. Next, at the top of the page, select the link for “Old Faithful”. This is one of
Yellowstone’s most popular geysers, why? Why is it named “Old Faithful”?
Describe three common misconceptions about Old Faithful?
7.
Last, at the top of the page, select the link for “Video Gallery”. Select one of the
geysers by clicking on the 28 next to it’s name. What geyser did you pick and
why? What did you learn about the geyser from the video?