Category archives for Freshwater
Posted by Phenomenal Friday Fact
Another Phenomenal Friday Fact
We use water for everything. Check out these facts that explore freshwater, the animals that live in it, and how we use it.
1. When a river otter dives, its ears and nose close tightly to keep water out.
2. Since 1999, about 430 dams in the United States have been removed, allowing rivers to return to their natural flow.
3. The armored catfish may look as if it shimmers, but its sheen is actually the reflection of a thin layer of crystals underneath its skin.
4. Male platypuses–aquatic mammals that live near rivers and lakes in eastern Australia and the island of Tasmania–are venomous.
5. More Americans fish than play tennis or golf.
6. The Nile, the world’s longest river, stretches about 4,000 miles–the length of more than 42 million dollar bills lined up end to end.
7. The rain that falls today is the same freshwater that dinosaurs drank.
8. Freshwater makes up less than three percent of the Earth’s water.
9. A bath uses 75 percent more water than a five-minute shower.
10. The snake-necked turtle, found in marshes and shallow waters of Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea, smells like a skunk.
Would you like to be involved in possibly the biggest chemistry experiment ever conducted? The Global Water Experiment is asking students to test the water where they live and share their results with students around the globe. Participants will learn about sustainable water management and the role that chemistry plays in purifying water for human consumption. The results will be featured on an interactive global data map through the end of 2011, the “International Year of Chemistry,” as designated by the United Nations.
Find out how you can participate in the Global Water Experiment (ask your parents for their permission).
How much do you know about water? Take this quiz.
Freshwater is incredibly precious. All humans need water to live, but by 2050, a third of all people may not have a dependable source of clean water to drink. National Geographic’s new Freshwater area is full of information on the Earth’s sources of freshwater and the challenges that face them, as well as ways to protect this vital resource.
Visit the Freshwater site on National Geographic.
Play Creek Cleanup and see how much trash you can pull out of a waterway.
How much do you know about water on Earth? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!
