Urbanization
The Effects Urbanization has on the Hydrological Cycle
Darrell Brown #284475
Dr. Raymond Mooring
EASC 2060 Earth Science
12/05/2011
“On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received any unacknowledged aid on this assignment.” -------------------------------------------------
Signature
Before taking this class, I never gave a serious thought about the source of our drinking water, groundwater. Moreover, how living in an urban setting effects the hydrological cycle. Underneath the beautiful landscapes of our urban cities is the groundwater, which supports life in those areas. Given that groundwater represents approximately 5% of our potable water, we, the citizens in our cities, should give serious thought to how and why our groundwater infiltrates the surface through runoff. I am certain there is a large segment of Metropolitan Atlanta Georgia citizens who, like me at one point, gives much thought to what effects they have or where they live may have on the hydrological cycle. If you turn on your faucet, we expect water to flow on demand of which we use indiscriminately or give little or no thought to what pollutants the water may contain or how the water got to your home. Many city dwellers may think how we can be running out of drinking water when the oceans are filled with it. They have no idea that only a small segment of the earth’s water is available for their use. We build; we populate, and destroy our rural areas with urban sprawl often giving little thought to what our actions have on the hydrological cycle all in the name of advancing civilization. In this paper, we will discuss those effects urbanization has on the hydrological cycle, how urbanization effects infiltration and water runoff rates, and what are some of the theories suggested correcting the effects urbanization has on the hydrological cycle. The hydrological cycle has been around as long as the planet. Along the way, humans came
Darrell Brown #284475
Dr. Raymond Mooring
EASC 2060 Earth Science
12/05/2011
“On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received any unacknowledged aid on this assignment.” -------------------------------------------------
Signature
Before taking this class, I never gave a serious thought about the source of our drinking water, groundwater. Moreover, how living in an urban setting effects the hydrological cycle. Underneath the beautiful landscapes of our urban cities is the groundwater, which supports life in those areas. Given that groundwater represents approximately 5% of our potable water, we, the citizens in our cities, should give serious thought to how and why our groundwater infiltrates the surface through runoff. I am certain there is a large segment of Metropolitan Atlanta Georgia citizens who, like me at one point, gives much thought to what effects they have or where they live may have on the hydrological cycle. If you turn on your faucet, we expect water to flow on demand of which we use indiscriminately or give little or no thought to what pollutants the water may contain or how the water got to your home. Many city dwellers may think how we can be running out of drinking water when the oceans are filled with it. They have no idea that only a small segment of the earth’s water is available for their use. We build; we populate, and destroy our rural areas with urban sprawl often giving little thought to what our actions have on the hydrological cycle all in the name of advancing civilization. In this paper, we will discuss those effects urbanization has on the hydrological cycle, how urbanization effects infiltration and water runoff rates, and what are some of the theories suggested correcting the effects urbanization has on the hydrological cycle. The hydrological cycle has been around as long as the planet. Along the way, humans came
References: Delft University of Technology. (2008) Every Drop Counts. Osaka: The United Nations Environment Program. O’Driscoll, M., Clinton, S., Anne, J., Manda, A., & McMillan, S, (2010). Urbanization Effects on Watershed Hydrology and In-Stream Processes in Southern United States, Water, 609-647 Shuster, J. B. (2005). Impacts of Impervious Surfaces on Watershed Hydrology. Urban Water Journal, 263-275