Changing Waterways Answers

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1
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Thermohaline circulation _______.

A
supplies heat to polar regions
B
causes salt lake formation
C
causes oxbow lake formation
D
is unaffected by heat fluctuations
2
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Which of the following statements about the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems is true?

A
Burning fossil fuels causes a direct increase in the temperatures of ocean water.
B
Burning fossil fuels causes a decrease in the pH of ocean water making it more acidic.
C
Pollution in marine ecosystems causes a decrease in the formation of algal blooms.
D
Addition of warm water has no effect on marine ecosystems.
3

Buffer zones _______.

A
can help regulate the acidity of aquatic ecosystems
B
help increase erosion rates
C
are set up around natural resource areas
D
all of the above
4

Which of the following is not an effect of erosion on lakes?

A
water leakage
B
wearing away of sides
C
increased water levels
D
basin filling with sediment
5

Explain how flooding affects rivers and how flooding can be influenced by human activity.

Answer:

Flooding erodes riverbanks, deposits sediment, and can change a river’s course. Human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and dam construction increase runoff and alter natural flow, raising flood risk.

6

How can alternative practices reduce human impact on waterways?

Answer:

Alternative practices such as no-till farming, cover crops, buffer strips, reduced chemical use, and wastewater treatment limit runoff, erosion, and pollutant loading into waterways.

7

How can buffer strips have a positive impact on waterways?

Answer:

Buffer strips trap sediment and nutrients, stabilize banks, reduce erosion, filter pollutants, and provide habitat corridors that improve water quality and aquatic ecosystem health.

8

Explain how thermohaline circulation is influenced by salinity and temperature.

Answer:

Thermohaline circulation is driven by differences in water density caused by temperature and salinity. Colder, saltier water is denser, sinks, and flows along the ocean floor, while warmer, less-saline water rises, creating a global conveyor-belt circulation.

9

Explain how pollution affects marine life.

Answer:

Pollution introduces toxins, excess nutrients, plastics, and warm water that can poison organisms, create dead zones through algal blooms and oxygen depletion, and disrupt food webs and reproduction.

10

Ocean and freshwater contamination _______.

A
does not affect marine life
B
is not affected by agriculture
C
results from industrial activity
D
is independent of human activity

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