Stream Health Blog

Stream Health Blog

Nitrates: usually does not have a direct effect on aquatic insects or fish, but excess levels of nitrates in water can create conditions that make it difficult for aquatic insects or fish to survive, can be a source of food,  it can interfere with the ability of your red blood cells to transport oxygen in humans, amount of nitrates in water is determined by both natural processes and human intervention, essential for all living things: animals and plants. Nitrogen forms a part of the proteins and DNA that are found in cells. Animals get nitrogen by eating plants and other animals.

Conductivity: a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current. Conductivity in water is affected by the presence of inorganic dissolved solids such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate anions or sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and aluminum cations,  also affected by temperature: the warmer the water, the higher the conductivity, Conductivity in streams and rivers is affected primarily by the geology of the area through which the water flows, Streams that run through areas with granite bedrock tend to have lower conductivity, streams that run through areas with clay soils tend to have higher conductivity, Studies of inland fresh waters indicate that streams supporting good mixed fisheries have a range between 150 and 500 µhos/cm. Conductivity outside this range could indicate that the water is not suitable for certain species of fish or macro-invertebrates, useful as a general measure of stream water quality, Significant changes in conductivity could then be an indicator that a discharge or some other source of pollution has entered a stream

Turbidity: is a measure of water clarity how much the material suspended in water decreases the passage of light through the water, Turbidity can affect the color of the water, Higher turbidity increases water temperatures because suspended particles absorb more heat & this Higher turbidity increases water temperatures because suspended particles absorb more heat, also reduces the amount of light penetrating the water, which reduces photosynthesis and the production of DO, Sources of turbidity include:
Soil erosion, Waste discharge, Urban runoff, Eroding stream banks, Large numbers of bottom feeders (such as carp), which stir up bottom sediments, Excessive algal growth. regular monitoring of turbidity can help detect trends that might indicate increasing erosion in developing watersheds, Turbidity often increases sharply during a rainfall, especially in developed watersheds, which typically have relatively high proportions of impervious surfaces, Turbidity can also rise sharply during dry weather if earth-disturbing activities are occurring in or near a stream without erosion control practices in place.

Dissolved Oxygen: is typically a limiting factor in aquatic ecosystems. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are expressed as milligrams of oxygen per liter of water (mg/L). The amount of DO affects what types of aquatic life are present in a stream, physical factors that influence DO are temperature, altitude, salinity, and stream structure. Temperature inversely controls the solubility of oxygen in water; as temperature increases, oxygen is less soluble, biological processes of photosynthesis and respiration also affect dissolved oxygen concentrations in streams, must be measured directly in the stream, since concentrations change quickly once a sample is collected. A DO probe allows several measurements to be taken in a short period of time, allowing quick comparisons for different physical characteristics within the stream reach

Temperature: water temperature determines the kinds of animals that can survive in a stream. If the temperature gets too hot or too cold for some organisms, they die. Temperature also can affect the chemistry of the water. For example, warm water holds less oxygen than cold water, temperature increase as small as 1 or 2 Celsius degrees can kill native fish, shellfish, and plants, can possibly kill plants and animals.

Alkalinity:  is the water's capacity to resist changes in pH that would make the water more acidic. This capacity is commonly known as "buffering capacity.", The pH of the buffered solution would change when the buffering capacity of the solution is overloaded, It essentially absorbs the excess H+ ions and protects the water body from fluctuations in pH, determined  by the soil and bedrock through which it passes. The main sources for natural alkalinity are rocks which contain carbonate, bicarbonate, and hydroxide compounds. Borates, silicates, and phosphates also may contribute to alkalinity, is important for fish and aquatic life because it protects or buffers against rapid pH changes

E.coli: is an emerging cause of food-borne and waterborne illness. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, this strain produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness

For Mountaintop removal

1. performed quickly 
2. less labor intensive
3. more efficient and profitable
4. more efficient
5. safer than underground mining

http://www.thedaonline.com/opinion/column-mountaintop-removal-mining-is-efficient-beneficial-1.2797525#.UZLGabXla8w

Against Mountaintop Removal

Against Mountaintop Removal

 

                             

1. loss of critical forest habitat
2. widespread destruction of mountain streams
3. water contamination 
4.  Has damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 miles of streams in four central Appalachia states
5. much vegetation is cleared off mountain tops
6. acres of old-growth forest are destroyed
7. use of explosives in MTR mining sends shock waves that shake homes, crack foundations and destroy water wells

• http://www.infobarrel.com/Why_Mountain_Top_Removal_Mining_is_Bad_for_the_Environment#5Urr6olu28XOpSQo.99
• http://mountainjustice.org/facts/steps.php

advantages and disadvantages of mining

 

Advantages/Disadvantages

Underground mining- more expensive than surface mining; takes longer to get minerals out; uses less blasting and drilling, and sends less miners underground;

Drift mining- less energy is required to transport miners and heavy equipment, safer transportation because the use of horizontal direction, cheaper and safer than shaft mining.

Shaft mining- is the deepest underground mining; has a vertical manshaft; safer when closing the mine. 

Room and pillar mining- uses pillars of coal to hold up the roof; pillars are mined when the mine begins closing; careful

Continuous mining- uses continuous mining machine to cut coal from walls; companies choose to use this method because they believe it is best.

Long wall mining- uses a machine call continuous miner to slice layer of coal or minerals from the walls, highly efficient.

Surface mining- mining minerals, gemstones, and rocks that are close to the surface; cheaper, can recover more of the resource; is safer and can use larger-scale mining equipment offering higher production rates; its high visibility, the large-scale surface disturbance and the limited economic depth to which mining can take place.

Strip mining- ends up hurting the area around the mine

Mountaintop mining- makes huge changes in the land that’s mined and the area around it; top of the mountain, the water flow, and the environment of and around the mountain are destroyed; causes problems in water supply, water quality, and watersheds

 

 

surface mining

Surface Mining

http://www.enviropaedia.com/topic/default.php?topic_id=223

1.      Strip mining- used when coal is near the surface or overburden is unstable; as mining process, the overburden is placed in the previous mine cavity.

2.      Contour mining- a type of strip mining; follows contour of a hill leaving a terrace in mountainside.

 

 

 

 

3.       Mountaintop mining- tops of hills are removed to access horizontal coal seams; overburden is pushing to areas between high elevations; follows reclamation; most controversial mining method.

 

 

underground mining

Underground Mining

1.      Drift mining- is possible where the coal steam intersects with the surface; mine enters the seam in a horizontal direction following the coal.

 

2.       Shaft mining- is a common method; accessing coal seam in which elevators provide access to the mines; commonly deeper than 1000 feet below the surface.

 

 

3.      Room and pillar mining- nearly half of the coal is left behind to support the roof; pillars “squeeze” putting pressure of adjacent pillars leading to roofs collapse.

 

 

4.       Continuous mining- continuous mining machines can be used with drift or room and pillar mines.; one miner can operate a continuous miner to a rotating steel drum with tungsten carbide teeth to mine 5 tons of coal per minute; some varieties of continuous mining machines have been in use since the 1940s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.      Long wall mining- highly efficient; huge mining machines support the roof as it also removes coal; when coal is fully removed, the machine is removed and the roof collapses; highly productive underground coal mining technique

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-longwall-mining.htm

 

coal part one

Coal first started forming about three hundred million years ago from the remains of swamps. Dead plants would sink to the bottom and then be covered by dirt and mud. Then instead of rotting it formed peat. Peat is like a mossy looking substance. This occurred because there was no oxygen under the water and mud. In order for organic objects to rot there needs to be oxygen. Sediment later covered and compressed the peat. Then as time progressed with lots of pressure coal is formed. The order that coal is formed is peat (precursor), then lignite (brown coal), bituminous coal (black coal), and finally the best kind of coal anthracite coal (hard coal). Some companies will turn the coal into coke. But it’s not the kind of coke that is like a drink or drugs. This is like pebbles of coal.

           

                Peat is the beginning stage of the coal process. This is created from left over plants that have fallen into bogs and muskegs. The lack of oxygen keeps it from decaying and this is a huge contributor to how it’s made. Peat also was used as a heat source by people in rural Northern Europe. Peat doesn’t burn as hot as coal does. Lignite also known as brown coal is the next stage of the coal process. Normally it can be found in Alaska and some western states. It has a pretty low carbon concentration (30%) and low heat value. This is used for electric generation. Bituminous coal is the next on the list. It’s the most common form of coal found. It’s used in the steel industry as its coked form. Its carbon value is 45-85% and conducts heat pretty well. Last but not least is the best kind of coal and that is anthracite coal. It comes from metamorphic bituminous coal. It has the highest carbon content which is 85-95% and conducts heat the best. When burned it is nearly smokeless and is found in northern Pennsylvania.

data collected

This is the exel file of data that was collected by Mr. Sharpe's classes.

what will happen in the future when aerosols attack

Most aerosols naturally occur in the atmosphere. Only about ten percent are man made. Scientist dont know if the atmospheic aerosols are increasing or anything. This is most likly because there isnt enough data on whether it is warming or cooling the planet. We have no idea if havng so much aerosols in the atmosphere is a good thing or a bad thing.