Question 1

The majority of large cave and karst systems have resulted from ________ etching into ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  carbonic acid; limestone 
B)  ascorbic acid; dolostone 
C)  phosphoric acid; shale 
D)  sea water; rock salt 
A)  carbonic acid; limestone 
B)  ascorbic acid; dolostone 
C)  phosphoric acid; shale 
D)  sea water; rock salt A

Question 2

An aquifer has ________ porosity and ________ permeability.

Accepted Answer

A)  low; high 
B)  high; low 
C)  low; low 
D)  high; high 
A)  low; high 
B)  high; low 
C)  low; low 
D)  high; high D

Question 3

Imagine that some of the wells around a city have begun to show elevated levels of a toxic substance.Without knowing what the toxic substance is,how can you use groundwater characteristics to determine what the source of the chemicals might be?

Accepted Answer

A)  Without knowing what the toxic chemical is,it would be impossible to pinpoint where the source is. 
B)  Determine if there are any chemical factories in the area and report them to the authorities. 
C)  Use the gradient in hydraulic head among contaminated wells to estimate the groundwater flow paths 
D)  Determine which well shows the highest concentration and determine the closest source to that well. 
A)  Without knowing what the toxic chemical is,it would be impossible to pinpoint where the source is. 
B)  Determine if there are any chemical factories in the area and report them to the authorities. 
C)  Use the gradient in hydraulic head among contaminated wells to estimate the groundwater flow paths 
D)  Determine which well shows the highest concentration and determine the closest source to that well. C

Question 4

How can a rock or sediment have high porosity but low permeability?

Accepted Answer

A)  if the pore spaces are filled with sediment 
B)  if the pore spaces are not well connected to each other 
C)  if the pore spaces are very large 
D)  if the pore spaces consist only of straight channel 
A)  if the pore spaces are filled with sediment 
B)  if the pore spaces are not well connected to each other 
C)  if the pore spaces are very large 
D)  if the pore spaces consist only of straight channel

Question 5

For a well to function properly,it must be drilled below the water table and into a(n)_________.

Accepted Answer

A)  aquifer 
B)  aquitard 
C)  spring 
D)  geyser 
A)  aquifer 
B)  aquitard 
C)  spring 
D)  geyser

Question 6

What does it mean if the potentiometric surface does NOT reach above the ground surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  The aquifer does not have any recharge into it and thus is dry. 
B)  There will not be any artesian wells or springs associated with the aquifer. 
C)  It will not be possible to pull water out of the aquifer from any type of well. 
D)  The aquifer does not have a high enough permeability to produce water. 
A)  The aquifer does not have any recharge into it and thus is dry. 
B)  There will not be any artesian wells or springs associated with the aquifer. 
C)  It will not be possible to pull water out of the aquifer from any type of well. 
D)  The aquifer does not have a high enough permeability to produce water.

Question 7

The volume of groundwater flow over a given time per unit area through a body of rock or sediment is called

Accepted Answer

A)  hydraulic head. 
B)  confined flow. 
C)  recharge. 
D)  discharge. 
A)  hydraulic head. 
B)  confined flow. 
C)  recharge. 
D)  discharge.

Question 8

In which direction would you expect groundwater to be moving in this diagram?

Accepted Answer

A)  from point h2 to p1 
B)  from the river to point p2 
C)  from point p1 to p2 
D)  from the pond to the river 
A)  from point h2 to p1 
B)  from the river to point p2 
C)  from point p1 to p2 
D)  from the pond to the river

Question 9

Topography dominated by depressions formed by the collapse of caves is termed a ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  valley and ridge province 
B)  karst landscape 
C)  horst and graben landscape 
D)  speleothem formation 
A)  valley and ridge province 
B)  karst landscape 
C)  horst and graben landscape 
D)  speleothem formation

Question 10

You have a choice to drill your water well into a shallow unconfined aquifer or a deeper artesian aquifer.Drilling deeper will cost more money; nevertheless,you chose to drill into the artesian aquifer.Why?

Accepted Answer

A)  The artesian aquifer will have a higher permeability. 
B)  The artesian aquifer will not be subject to overpumping. 
C)  The artesian aquifer will flow on its own,without a pump. 
D)  The artesian aquifer will contain more water for your use. 
A)  The artesian aquifer will have a higher permeability. 
B)  The artesian aquifer will not be subject to overpumping. 
C)  The artesian aquifer will flow on its own,without a pump. 
D)  The artesian aquifer will contain more water for your use.

Question 11

Imagine two rocks with the same porosity.Rock A has many small pores connected by thin and winding conduits,while Rock B has fewer but larger pores connected by straight conduits.Which rock is likely to have higher permeability?

Accepted Answer

A)  Rock A 
B)  Rock B 
C)  Both rocks will have similar permeability because they have the same porosity. 
D)  Permeability is not related to the size and shape of pore spaces. 
A)  Rock A 
B)  Rock B 
C)  Both rocks will have similar permeability because they have the same porosity. 
D)  Permeability is not related to the size and shape of pore spaces.

Question 12

A porous material

Accepted Answer

A)  will be permeable as well. 
B)  will be impermeable. 
C)  may be permeable or impermeable. 
D)  will be neither permeable nor impermeable. 
A)  will be permeable as well. 
B)  will be impermeable. 
C)  may be permeable or impermeable. 
D)  will be neither permeable nor impermeable.

Question 13

What are some ways that a rise in the water table could be damaging or hazardous?

Accepted Answer

For homeowners,if the groundwater table

Question 14

How does the composition of water in hot springs compare to average groundwater?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hot springs contain more dissolved salts and minerals. 
B)  Hot springs are essentially pure water with no dissolved material. 
C)  Hot springs very closely resemble nearby groundwater that is not elevated in temperature. 
D)  Hot springs are more similar to the composition of seawater. 
A)  Hot springs contain more dissolved salts and minerals. 
B)  Hot springs are essentially pure water with no dissolved material. 
C)  Hot springs very closely resemble nearby groundwater that is not elevated in temperature. 
D)  Hot springs are more similar to the composition of seawater.

Question 15

The liquid freshwater that occurs within sediments and rock below the Earth's surface is called

Accepted Answer

A)  lakes. 
B)  rivers and streams. 
C)  groundwater. 
D)  atmospheric clouds. 
A)  lakes. 
B)  rivers and streams. 
C)  groundwater. 
D)  atmospheric clouds.

Question 16

Label the three zones,on the image below,that water moves through as it percolates into the Earth.Also include where the water table is by marking it with an arrow.

Accepted Answer

Students should label the unsa

Question 17

Land subsidence is likely when ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  groundwater recharge occurs 
B)  the calcium and magnesium content of groundwater increases 
C)  the water table raises 
D)  lowering the water table causes sediment pores to collapse 
A)  groundwater recharge occurs 
B)  the calcium and magnesium content of groundwater increases 
C)  the water table raises 
D)  lowering the water table causes sediment pores to collapse

Question 18

Groundwater depletion occurs when

Accepted Answer

A)  geothermal heating turns groundwater into steam. 
B)  the water table rises when a well pump is turned off. 
C)  fresh groundwater is contaminated with salty water from the ocean. 
D)  groundwater is pumped from an aquifer faster than it can be resupplied. 
A)  geothermal heating turns groundwater into steam. 
B)  the water table rises when a well pump is turned off. 
C)  fresh groundwater is contaminated with salty water from the ocean. 
D)  groundwater is pumped from an aquifer faster than it can be resupplied.

Question 19

You are testing the groundwater quality of an aquifer and find that it has high amounts of arsenic.What is the likely source?

Accepted Answer

A)  The arsenic comes from minerals in the aquifer rock that have dissolved. 
B)  The arsenic comes from the reaction of the water with your testing supplies. 
C)  The arsenic is being poured into the groundwater to poison the town. 
D)  All groundwater contains high amounts of arsenic. 
A)  The arsenic comes from minerals in the aquifer rock that have dissolved. 
B)  The arsenic comes from the reaction of the water with your testing supplies. 
C)  The arsenic is being poured into the groundwater to poison the town. 
D)  All groundwater contains high amounts of arsenic.

Question 20

Hot springs can be formed by the heating of groundwater by magma or by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  decompression heating 
B)  infrared heating by the Sun 
C)  the geothermal gradient 
D)  heating by the core 
A)  decompression heating 
B)  infrared heating by the Sun 
C)  the geothermal gradient 
D)  heating by the core

Exam 16: A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

The majority of large cave and karst systems have resulted from ________ etching into ________.

An aquifer has ________ porosity and ________ permeability.

Imagine that some of the wells around a city have begun to show elevated levels of a toxic substance.Without knowing what the toxic substance is,how can you use groundwater characteristics to determine what the source of the chemicals might be?

How can a rock or sediment have high porosity but low permeability?

For a well to function properly,it must be drilled below the water table and into a(n)_________.

What does it mean if the potentiometric surface does NOT reach above the ground surface?

The volume of groundwater flow over a given time per unit area through a body of rock or sediment is called

In which direction would you expect groundwater to be moving in this diagram?

Topography dominated by depressions formed by the collapse of caves is termed a ________.

You have a choice to drill your water well into a shallow unconfined aquifer or a deeper artesian aquifer.Drilling deeper will cost more money; nevertheless,you chose to drill into the artesian aquifer.Why?

Imagine two rocks with the same porosity.Rock A has many small pores connected by thin and winding conduits,while Rock B has fewer but larger pores connected by straight conduits.Which rock is likely to have higher permeability?

A porous material

What are some ways that a rise in the water table could be damaging or hazardous?

How does the composition of water in hot springs compare to average groundwater?

The liquid freshwater that occurs within sediments and rock below the Earth's surface is called

Label the three zones,on the image below,that water moves through as it percolates into the Earth.Also include where the water table is by marking it with an arrow.

Land subsidence is likely when ________.

Groundwater depletion occurs when

You are testing the groundwater quality of an aquifer and find that it has high amounts of arsenic.What is the likely source?

Hot springs can be formed by the heating of groundwater by magma or by ________.

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of the Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of the Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earth’s Interior Revisited: Insights from Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Prelude: And Just What is Geology?

Filters

The majority of large cave and karst systems have resulted from etching into .

An aquifer has porosity and permeability.