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Chapter 19: Problem 11

Is groundwater a renewable or nonrenewable resource? Explain your answer.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Groundwater can be considered a conditionally renewable resource, as it is replenished naturally through the infiltration of rainwater and melting snow. However, its renewability depends on sustainable usage and management practices. If groundwater is depleted at unsustainable rates due to human activities, it can effectively become a nonrenewable resource.

Step by step solution

01

Define Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Renewable resources are those that can be replenished naturally or by human efforts in a relatively short period (e.g., solar energy, wind energy, and forest products). On the other hand, nonrenewable resources are resources that have a limited supply and cannot be replenished within a human time scale (e.g., fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas).
02

Characteristics of Groundwater

Groundwater is water that is found underground in the spaces between soil particles and in the fractures of rock formations. It is an essential resource for humans, as it supplies fresh water for drinking, agriculture, and industrial uses. Groundwater is replenished by the infiltration of rainwater and melting snow, which seeps through the soil and fills the underground spaces (a process known as recharge).
03

Compare Groundwater to Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Groundwater shares some characteristics with both renewable and nonrenewable resources. On one hand, groundwater can be replenished naturally by the infiltration of rainwater and melting snow. On the other hand, the rate of recharge can be slow, and human activities such as over-extraction for agriculture, industry, and domestic use can deplete groundwater resources faster than they can be replenished.
04

Determine If Groundwater Is Renewable or Nonrenewable

Considering the characteristics of groundwater, it can be considered a renewable resource if it is managed sustainably and used at a rate that does not exceed its natural rate of recharge. However, if human activities continue to deplete groundwater at unsustainable rates and the resource is not given enough time to recharge, it will effectively become a nonrenewable resource. Therefore, groundwater can be classified as a conditionally renewable resource, where its renewability depends on our usage and management practices.

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