GEOG M107 Chapter Notes - Chapter 17: Secondary Treatment, Eutrophication, Fossil Fuel
Document Summary
Water is the principal component of living organisms, serves as filler and transportation service for living cells. What factors affect water"s ability to sustain life? temperature, pressure, ph, ionic concentrations in water must be within certain limits to sustain life. Many timescales of cycles: water occurs naturally in solid, liquid, and vapor phases. Cycles readily from one phase to another (and from one location to another) Water that circulates or cycles from one place to another is generally of most interest to humans because it can be diverted and used for various purposes. Cycling process can purify water by leaving pollutants behind when it evaporates, but some parts of the cycle allow water to transport pollutants as it flows from one place to another. All plants and animals require water to sustain life. Keeping aquatic environments pollution-free helps aquatic organisms live, as well as benefits up the food chain (land animals/humans eat aquatic organisms)
