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Fresh water is a natural resource that humans use every day. Fresh water has many uses, including drinking, cleaning, taking care of livestock, irrigating farms, and generating electricity.
Since 1950, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has tracked the volume of fresh water used in the United States. The graph below shows the volume of fresh water
withdrawn,
or taken by humans for any use, in a given year. The data were collected every five years, starting in 1950 and ending in 2005.
Select the statement that is supported by the data.
Look at the same graphs, which show the volume of groundwater withdrawn in a given year and the volume of groundwater depleted by a given year. Think about how each volume changed between 1950 and 2005.
Select the statement that is supported by the data.
Look at the same graphs. Then, think about how withdrawing groundwater affects groundwater depletion.
Select the statement that is supported by the data.
Since 1950, groundwater has been severely depleted in many U.S. regions. In recent years, farmers and engineers have come together to find solutions to conserve fresh water, including groundwater.
Which of the following statements explain why it is necessary to find solutions to conserve groundwater? Select all that apply.
Look at the same graphs. Then, think about how withdrawing groundwater affects groundwater depletion.
Select the statement that is supported by the data.
Humans need to withdraw groundwater in order to use it. Groundwater comes from aquifers that formed underground over long periods of time, sometimes several thousand years.
By drilling wells into the ground, humans can pump water out of these aquifers. The rate at which humans withdraw groundwater is much faster than the rate at which these aquifers
recharge,
or refill. As a result, the groundwater supply is being
depleted,
or reduced.The total volume of groundwater that has been removed and not replaced is called groundwater
depletion.
As groundwater depletion increases, groundwater will become more difficult to find and more expensive to withdraw.
Which statement correctly describes how groundwater is affected by human activity?
Aquifers have formed over thousands of years, so humans cannot reduce the groundwater supply over a shorter time span.
The groundwater supply could be used up because humans withdraw groundwater at a much faster rate than aquifers refill.
Look at the same graphs, which show the volume of groundwater withdrawn in a given year and the volume of groundwater depleted by a given year. Think about how each volume changed between 1950 and 2005.
Use the data to complete the statements.
The volume of groundwater withdrawn in 2005 was _______________ as large as the volume of groundwater withdrawn in 1950.
The total volume of groundwater depleted by 2005 was ______________ as large as the total volume of groundwater depleted by 1950.