Water storage: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:42, 2 December 2018

Water storage refers to holding water in a contained area for a period of time. Water storage can be natural or artificial. Natural water storage occurs in all parts of the hydrologic cycle. Water can be stored in the atmosphere, on the surface of the Earth, or below ground. Artificial water storage is done for a variety of reasons and is done on small and large scales. Water storage locations are commonly referred to as reservoirs.^[1]

Natural Water Storage and the Hydrologic Cycle

main article

Each stage of the hydrologic cycle involves the storage of water (Figure 1). The storage of water on Earth can be separated into three main natural locations: above, at, and below the surface of the Earth. Water can be stored in the atmosphere, on the surface of the Earth, or underground.^[2] These water storage areas are most commonly known as reservoirs. Natural reservoirs include oceans, glaciers and other bodies of ice, groundwater, lakes, soil moisture, wetlands, living organisms, the atmosphere, and rivers.^[1]

Collectively, all water storage areas make up the hydrosphere. Most water on earth is found in oceans and seas, then in glaciers and groundwater. ~97% of the world's water is stored in the oceans as saltwater. The overwhelming majority of water is stored here, so oceans can be seen as the start and end point of the hydrologic cycle. Water from the ocean evaporates into the atmosphere, then falls back to Earth's surface as precipitation. Most precipitation falls back into the ocean but some precipitation falls onto land.^[1]

Figure 1. Water distribution on Earth.^[3]

Water moves from reservoir to reservoir through a variety of different transport mechanisms such as evaporation, condensation, etc. Each type of reservoir (e.g. atmospheric, aquifers, lakes) has a different residence time. The residence time is how long the water stays in a reservoir. Water in the atmosphere stays there for an average of 15 days, while soil moisture lasts a couple of months. Lakes replenish their water every 50 to 100 years, while groundwater can reside in the reservoir for 100 to 10 000 years. Ice caps have the longest residence times, going up to 200 000 years. The type of storage that occurs on the land surface and under the ground largely depend on the geologic features of the area and is related to the types of soil and the types of rocks present at the storage locations.^[1]

Artificial Water Storage

Artificial water storage is done for commercial and private reasons. Artificial water storage ranges in size from rain barrels and household water tanks to urban infrastructure and industrial reservoirs. Some of the smaller types of artificial storage include water towers, tanks, and rain barrels for use by people in times of drought or in areas that do not have easy access to water sources. Commercial uses for artificial water storage tend to be larger in scale, such as holding ponds and dam reservoirs. Some examples of industries that use water storage include various types of mining, agriculture (for irrigation and livestock), and energy generation.^[4]

An important use of artificial water storage is in hydroelectricity. A reservoir of water is built up behind a hydroelectric dam. The water in the reservoir is at a higher elevation than the water on the other side of the dam. The dam then converts the potential energy of the water into mechanical energy. This is done by having the water drop through the dam and push turbine blades as it falls. The height that this water is at is known as the hydraulic head, and it is one of the major factors in determining how much electricity can be generated. ^[5]

For Further Reading

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Stephen Marshak. Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 3rd ed. New York, NY, U.S.A: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008
↑ NOAA. (September 1, 2015). Description of the Hydrologic Cycle [Online]. Available: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/info/water_cycle/hydrology.cgi
↑ Wikimedia Commons. (September 1, 2015). Earth's Water Distribution [Online]. Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Earth's_water_distribution.svg/2000px-Earth's_water_distribution.svg.png
↑ OAS. (Nov.27, 2018). "1.5 Runoff collection using surface and underground structures" [Online]. Available: https://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/unit/oea59e/ch14.htm
↑ Quebec Hydro. (September 1, 2015). Reservoirs [Online]. Available: http://www.hydroquebec.com/learning/hydroelectricite/gestion-eau.html

[ref5-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Stephen Marshak. Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 3rd ed. New York, NY, U.S.A: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008

[ref4-2] NOAA. (September 1, 2015). Description of the Hydrologic Cycle [Online]. Available: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/info/water_cycle/hydrology.cgi

[3] Wikimedia Commons. (September 1, 2015). Earth's Water Distribution [Online]. Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Earth's_water_distribution.svg/2000px-Earth's_water_distribution.svg.png

[4] OAS. (Nov.27, 2018). "1.5 Runoff collection using surface and underground structures" [Online]. Available: https://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/unit/oea59e/ch14.htm

[5] Quebec Hydro. (September 1, 2015). Reservoirs [Online]. Available: http://www.hydroquebec.com/learning/hydroelectricite/gestion-eau.html

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Category:Done 2015-09-05]]
+[[Category:Done 2018-12-10]]
-<onlyinclude>'''Water storage''' refers to the process of holding [[water]] in some holding area for a period of time. There are multiple locations on Earth where water is stored, and the water stays there for variable periods of time depending on where exactly it is being stored.</onlyinclude>
+[[Category: Rudi grade Ashley write]]
+<onlyinclude>'''Water storage''' refers to holding [[water]] in a contained area for a period of time.</onlyinclude> Water storage can be natural or artificial. Natural water storage occurs in all parts of the [[hydrologic cycle]]. Water can be stored in the [[atmosphere]], on the surface of the [[Earth]], or below ground. Artificial water storage is done for a variety of reasons and is done on small and large scales. Water storage locations are commonly referred to as [[reservoir]]s.<ref name=ref5>Stephen Marshak. ''Earth: Portrait of a Planet'', 3rd ed. New York, NY, U.S.A: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008</ref>
-It is important to investigate water storage from several different viewpoints. In the [[hydrologic cycle]], these water storage locations vary drastically and include any natural storage area in the [[atmosphere]], on the surface of the Earth, or below ground. For [[hydroelectricity]], water storage is important as it includes lakes and [[hydroelectric reservoir]]s, which are utilized to [[electricity generation|generate electricity]]. Water storage can also include any man-made method of holding water, although these generally don't hold much of the overall [[volume]] of water on Earth, and include rain barrels or larger scale water towers for towns.
+==Natural Water Storage and the Hydrologic Cycle==
+:: [[hydrologic cycle|''main article'']]
-==Hydrologic Cycle==
+Each stage of the hydrologic cycle involves the storage of water (Figure 1). The storage of water on Earth can be separated into three main natural locations: above, at, and below the surface of the Earth. Water can be stored in the atmosphere, on the surface of the Earth, or underground.<ref name=ref4>NOAA. (September 1, 2015). Description of the Hydrologic Cycle [Online]. Available: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/info/water_cycle/hydrology.cgi</ref> These water storage areas are most commonly known as ''reservoirs''. Natural reservoirs include oceans, glaciers and other bodies of ice, groundwater, lakes, soil moisture, wetlands, living organisms, the atmosphere, and rivers.<ref name=ref5/>
-:: [[hydrologic cycle|''main article'']]
-The storage of water in a variety of places on the Earth is a vital component of the hydrologic cycle. The movement of water around the world and its storage in a variety of location has contributed to the relatively constant amount of water that has existed on Earth.
-The storage of water on Earth can be separated into three main locations: the atmosphere, on the surface of the Earth, and underground.<ref name=ref4>NOAA. (September 1, 2015). Description of the Hydrologic Cycle [Online]. Available: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/info/water_cycle/hydrology.cgi</ref> Specifically these water storage areas are known as ''reservoirs'' and include oceans, glacier ice, groundwater, lakes, soil moisture, living organisms, the atmosphere, and rivers.<ref name=ref5>Stephen Marshak. ''Earth: Portrait of a Planet'', 3rd ed. New York, NY, U.S.A:W.W. Norton & Company, 2008</ref> Collectively, all water storage areas make up the hydrosphere. Most water on earth is found in oceans and seas, then in glaciers and groundwater. ~97% of the world's water is stored in the oceans as saltwater.<ref name=ref5/> Because the overwhelming majority of water is stored here, this can be seen as the start and end point of the hydrologic cycle. Water that starts here evaporates up into the atmosphere, where the majority of it falls back into the ocean as rain, or a much smaller amount falls onto land. For a more in-depth look at where Earth's water is stored, see Figure 1 below.
+Collectively, all water storage areas make up the hydrosphere. Most water on earth is found in oceans and seas, then in glaciers and groundwater. ~97% of the world's water is stored in the oceans as saltwater. The overwhelming majority of water is stored here, so oceans can be seen as the start and end point of the hydrologic cycle. Water from the ocean evaporates into the atmosphere, then falls back to Earth's surface as [[precipitation]]. Most precipitation falls back into the ocean but some precipitation falls onto land.<ref name=ref5/>
 [[File:2000px-Earth's_water_distribution.svg.png|400px|framed|center|Figure 1. Water distribution on Earth.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (September 1, 2015). ''Earth's Water Distribution'' [Online]. Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Earth's_water_distribution.svg/2000px-Earth's_water_distribution.svg.png</ref>]]
-Water moves from reservoir to reservoir through a variety of different transportation mechanisms, but this water can stay in storage for varying lengths of time. The movement water from place to place can be fairly erratic, but there tends to be trends for how long certain types of reservoirs maintain their water for. The average length of time that water stays in any reservoir in the hydrologic cycle is known as the residence time. Water the water in the atmosphere is renewed every 15 days, while soil moisture lasts a couple of months. Lakes replenish their water every 50 to 100 years, while groundwater can last anywhere from 100 to 10 000 years. Finally, ice caps hold water the longest with residence times of up to 200 000 years.<ref name=ref5/>
+Water moves from reservoir to reservoir through a variety of different transport mechanisms such as [[evaporation]], [[condensation]], etc. Each type of reservoir (e.g. atmospheric, aquifers, lakes) has a different [[residence time]]. The residence time is how long the water stays in a reservoir. Water in the atmosphere stays there for an average of  15 days, while soil moisture lasts a couple of months. Lakes replenish their water every 50 to 100 years, while groundwater can reside in the reservoir for 100 to 10 000 years. Ice caps have the longest residence times, going up to 200 000 years. The type of storage that occurs on the land surface and under the ground largely depend on the geologic features of the area and is related to the types of soil and the types of rocks present at the storage locations.<ref name=ref5/>
-The type of storage that occurs on the land surface and under the ground largely depend on the geologic features related to the types of soil and the types of rocks present at the storage locations.
+==Artificial Water Storage==
+Artificial water storage is done for commercial and private reasons. Artificial water storage ranges in size from rain barrels and household water tanks to urban infrastructure and industrial reservoirs. Some of the smaller types of artificial storage include water towers, tanks, and rain barrels for use by people in times of drought or in areas that do not have easy access to water sources. Commercial uses for artificial water storage tend to be larger in scale, such as holding ponds and dam reservoirs. Some examples of industries that use water storage include various types of mining, agriculture (for irrigation and livestock), and energy generation.<ref>OAS. (Nov.27, 2018). "1.5 Runoff collection using surface and underground structures" [Online]. Available: https://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/unit/oea59e/ch14.htm </ref>
-==Hydroelectricity==
+An important use of artificial water storage is in hydroelectricity. A reservoir of water is built up behind a [[hydroelectric dam]]. The water in the reservoir is at a higher elevation than the water on the other side of the dam. The dam then converts the [[potential energy]] of the water into [[mechanical energy]]. This is done by having the water drop through the dam and push [[hydro turbine|turbine]] blades as it falls. The height that this water is at is known as the [[hydraulic head]], and it is one of the major factors in determining how much [[electricity]] can be generated. <ref>Quebec Hydro. (September 1, 2015). ''Reservoirs'' [Online]. Available: http://www.hydroquebec.com/learning/hydroelectricite/gestion-eau.html</ref>
-:: [[hydroelectric reservoir|''main article'']]
-Water storage is also important in the area of hydroelectricity. A hydroelectric reservoir is a type of water storage, and these reservoirs are extremely important in the generation of electricity from falling water. A hydroelectric reservoir is a large collection of water behind a [[hydroelectric dam]] that makes use of [[potential energy]] of water for generating electricity.This water is held back by the dam, and is allowed to fall to generate electricity when it is needed.<ref>Quebec Hydro. (September 1, 2015). ''Reservoirs'' [Online]. Available: http://www.hydroquebec.com/learning/hydroelectricite/gestion-eau.html</ref>
-The water held in the reservoir of a hydroelectric facility is at a higher elevation than the rest of the dam, giving this water potential energy that is converted into [[mechanical energy]] of moving [[hydro turbine|turbine]] blades as it falls. The height that this water is at is known as the [[hydraulic head]], and is one of the major factors in determining how much [[electricity]] can be generated.
+==For Further Reading==
+*[[Water]]
+*[[Hydroelectricity]]
+*[[Reservoir]]
+*[[Hydrologic cycle]]
+*[[Dam]]
+*Or explore a [[Special:Random|random page]]
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{reflist}}[[Category:Uploaded]]
+[[category: Ed edit]]

Navigation menu

Search