Chapter 1 – Solutions to Odd Numbered Problems

 

 

Dr. Todd Rayne of Hamilton College provided these solutions.

 

 

1. A vertical water tank is 15 ft in diameter and 60 ft. high. What is the volume of the tank in cubic feet?

 

            V = p r2 h

            h = 60 ft; d = 15 ft; r = d/2 = 7.5 ft

            V = p x 7.5 ft2 x 60 ft

            V = 11,000 ft3 or 1.1 x 104 ft3

 

3. If the above tank were measured and found to have an inside diameter of exactly 15.00 ft and a height of 60.00 ft, what would be the volume in cubic feet?

 

V = p r2 h

            h = 60.00 ft; d = 15.00 ft; r = d/2 = 7.50 ft

            V = p x 7.50 ft2 x 60.00 ft

            V = 10,600 ft3 or 1.06 x 104 ft3

 

5. If a well pumps at a rate of 8.4 gal per minute, how long would it take to fill the tank described above?

 

            V = 300.3 m3 x 264.17 gal/m3 = 79,330.25 gal

            t = 79,330.25 gal/(8.4 gal/min) = 9400 min = 160 hr

 

7. If during the next week the pool still loses 2.35 in. of water to evaporation, even with 29 mm of rainfall, how many liters of water must be added?

 

            A  = 60.0 m2

                Evaporation = 2.35 in/week x 0.0254 in/m x 60.0 m2 = 3.58 m3/week

            Precipitation = 29 mm = 0.029 m x 60.0 m2 = 1.74 m3/week

            Water to be added is equal to evaporation less precipitation

            Water added = 3.58 m3/week – 1.74 m3/week

            Water added = 1.84 m3/week x 1000 L/m3 = 1800 L                          

                       

 

9. The parking lot of the Spendmore Megamall has an area of 128 ac. It is partially landscaped to provide some areas of grass. Assume that an average of 63% of the water that falls on the parking lot will flow into a nearby drainage ditch, and the rest either evaporates or soaks into unpaved areas. If as summer thunderstorm drops 3.23 cm of ran, how many cubic feet of water will flow into the drainage ditch?

 

            A  = 128 acre x 43,560 ft2/acre = 5.57568 x 106 ft2

            Precipitation = 3.23 cm x 0.394 in/cm x 0.833 ft/in = 0.106 ft

            Volume of rainfall = Precipitation x Area

            Volume of rainfall = 0.106 ft x 5.57567 x 106 ft2 = 5.91 x 105 ft3

            Volume of runoff  = 63 % of volume of rainfall

            Volume of runoff = 5.91 x 105 ft3 x 0.63 = 3.72 x 105 ft 3

 

 

11. What mass of water at 15o C can be cooled 1o C by the amount of heat needed to sublime (go from a solid to a vapor state) 18 g of ice at 0o C?

 

 

            18 g ice x 677 cal/g = 12,186 cal absorbed

            12,000 cal x 1 g/cal = 12,000 g of water cooled

           

 

13. At a water elevation of 6391 ft, Mono Lake has a volume of 2,939,000 ac-ft, and a surface area of 48,100 ac. Annual inputs to the lake include 8.0 in. of direct precipitation, runoff from gauged streams of 150,000 ac-ft per year, and ungauged runoff and groundwater inflow of 37,000 ac-ft per year. Evaporation is 45 in. per year.

 

            First convert all measurements to units of acre-feet per year

 

 

            Precipitation     = 8 in/yr x 0.083 ft/in = 0.67 ft/yr

                                    = 0.67 ft/yr x 48,100 ac = 32,067 ac-ft/yr

            Evaporation      = 45 in/yr x 0.083 ft/in = 3.75 ft/yr

                                    = 3.75 ft/yr x 48,100 ac = 180,375 ac-ft/yr

 

 

(A) Make a water budget showing inputs, in ac-ft per year and outputs in ac-ft per year. Does the input balance the output?

 

 

 

            INPUTS (ac-ft/yr)

                        Precipitation                 32,000

                        Streamflow                   150,000

                        Ground water inflow     37,000

                        Total                            219,000

 

            OUTFLOWS (ac-ft/yr)

                        Evaporation                  180,000

                        Total                            180,000

 

            Input is greater than output

 

 

(B) Will the average lake level rise or fall from the 6391-ft elevation over the long term?

 

 

             The lake level will rise over the long term, as inputs are greater than the only output, which is evaporation.

 

 

(C) What would be the lake surface area when the inputs balance the outputs?  (Assume that the volume of gauged and ungauged runoff and ground-water inflows remain constant with a change in lake surface area.)

 

 

            In order for the inputs and outputs to be equal, the lake will rise so that the surface area is greater and more water evaporates as evaporation as well as the precipitation input is a function of lake surface area.

 

            The excess input at an area of 48,100 acre surface area is 219,000 ac-ft/yr – 180,000 ac-ft/yr or 39,000 ac-ft/yr

 

            The net evaporation is total evaporation less precipitation

                                    Net evaporation = 45 in/yr – 8 in/yr = 37 in/yr = 3.08 in/yr

                                    Increase in area = (39,000 ac-ft/yr) / (3.08 ft/yr) = 12,649 ac

                                    Total area of lake = 12, 662 ac + 48,100 ac = 60,762 ac = 61,000 ac

 

 

 

 (D) What is the residence time for water in Mono Lake when the water surface is at 6391 ft?

 

 

                        Residence time = (2,939,000 ac-ft) / (180,000 ac-ft/yr) = 16.3 yr