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3. The Nature of Water

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Total cards: 24•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (24)

#1
Front (Question)

What is a bathymetric map?

Back (Answer)

A depth profile (like a topographic map for lakes)

#2
Front (Question)

Give the simple methodological approach for measuring bathymetry

Back (Answer)

• get a basic outline from topographic map • establish gridded transects (grid of lake depths) • Use SONAR etc to create contours

#3
Front (Question)

“depth” in freshwater ecology is denoted as:

Back (Answer)

“z”

#4
Front (Question)

Lake volume (V) can be calculated using the area between the ____ _____. Explain the process

Back (Answer)

contour lines • calculate the area at each depth • use depth-specific areas to calculate layer volumes • plot area vs depth –> create an absolute hypsographic curve

#5
Front (Question)

What’s the difference between an absolute and a relative hypsographic curve?

Back (Answer)

absolute= true measurements are used relative= absolute values are converted to relative values

#6
Front (Question)

Relative Hypsographic curves plot ___ vs ___

Back (Answer)

relative depth (%) vs Relative area (%)

#7
Front (Question)

What is fetch? What is it calculated as?

Back (Answer)

The maximum length of a lake = the distance b/w the 2 most distant points or max length + 1/2 width is sometimes used

#8
Front (Question)

Effective fetch=

Back (Answer)

measures the lake length in the prevailing wind direction (not necessarily max length)

#9
Front (Question)

Why is fetch important?

Back (Answer)

It’s fundamental for mixing! Helps us understand wind dynamics, wave height, and mixing in lakes

#10
Front (Question)

The shoreline development index (DL) is a measure of:

Back (Answer)

the spatial irregularity of a lake

#11
Front (Question)

If a lake has a high shoreline development index, what does that indicate?

Back (Answer)

• highly dendritic • a higher degree of near-shore habitat • numerous bays: may differ from the main lake in terms of temp, water chem, and light penetration

#12
Front (Question)

What is water residence time (retention time)? How is it calculated?

Back (Answer)

= the average amount of time for a water molecule in a lake to fully turn over WRT (yrs)= Volume/ water loss from lake

#13
Front (Question)

Liquid water is most dense at __ degrees C, where is has a density of __

Back (Answer)

3.98 1.00g/mL

#14
Front (Question)

It’s unusual that water’s solid state is less dense than the liquid state. What causes this?

Back (Answer)

hydrogen bonding of water! the structure of the water molecule fosters an uneven distribution of elecromagnetic charge (molecular polarity)

#15
Front (Question)

Back (Answer)

#16
Front (Question)

T/F Water has approx as many H-bonds as it does covalent bonds

Back (Answer)

true (this is very unique)

#17
Front (Question)

The hydrogens in H2O have a net __ charge and the oxygen has a net __ charge This uneven distribution enables ___ bonds

Back (Answer)

H= net positive charge O= net negative charge hydrogen bonds

#18
Front (Question)

Why does ice float?

Back (Answer)

The hydrogen bonds enable a lattice-like structure; causes ice to be very rigid, forcing space between water molecules (so ice expands). Air pockets= floats

#19
Front (Question)

Below 0 degrees, each water molecule has an average of __ hydrogen bonds - this increases spacing/ rigidity of adjacent molecules, lowering its density and weight Above 0 degrees, each water molecule has an average of __ hydrogen bonds - enhances fluidity of water

Back (Answer)

Freezing= 4 per molecule Above 0= 3.4 per molecule (less)

#20
Front (Question)

The lattice-like structure of ice breaks down as you increase the temperature, which ___(inc/dec) density

Back (Answer)

increases

#21
Front (Question)

What’s one major implication of H2O density for aquatic life?

Back (Answer)

Depth refugia! Fish etc can live through the winter underneath the ice. If it froze from the bottom, they wouldn’t survive

#22
Front (Question)

Specific Heat Capacity=

Back (Answer)

the amount of heat (in calories) needed to raise 1g of a substances mass by 1 degree C

#23
Front (Question)

_____ _____ cause the heat capacity of water to be much greater than in most other liquids (and air!).

Back (Answer)

hydrogen bonds

#24
Front (Question)

What is water’s specific heat capacity? What implications does this have?

Back (Answer)

4.2J/kgK • water bodies act as a ‘buffer’ for temp changes (eg coast climates have a more stable temp) • lakes warm and cool more gradually than the surrounding land