Question 1

The elevation of the water table ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  is a constant for a given area so long as the topography remains the same 
B)  may rise during times of drought and sink during rainy periods 
C)  may rise during rainy periods and sink during droughts 
D)  is completely unpredictable 
A)  is a constant for a given area so long as the topography remains the same 
B)  may rise during times of drought and sink during rainy periods 
C)  may rise during rainy periods and sink during droughts 
D)  is completely unpredictable

Question 2

Why would a rise in the water table be a potential danger to a homeowner?

Accepted Answer

A)  It costs much more to drill a well when the water table is close to the land surface. 
B)  Most homes are buoyant,so they may break free of their foundations and float away. 
C)  If the water table rises above the level of a home's basement,water could seep through the foundation and cause a flood. 
D)  Household well pumps do not work very well when the water table rises. 
A)  It costs much more to drill a well when the water table is close to the land surface. 
B)  Most homes are buoyant,so they may break free of their foundations and float away. 
C)  If the water table rises above the level of a home's basement,water could seep through the foundation and cause a flood. 
D)  Household well pumps do not work very well when the water table rises.

Question 3

Pumping vast quantities of water locally ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  raises the local water table 
B)  lowers the local water table,forming a cone-shaped depression 
C)  lowers the local water table,forming a cylindrical depression 
D)  does not affect the water table 
A)  raises the local water table 
B)  lowers the local water table,forming a cone-shaped depression 
C)  lowers the local water table,forming a cylindrical depression 
D)  does not affect the water table

Question 4

What are porosity and permeability,and how do they affect the rate of groundwater flow?

Accepted Answer

Porosity refers to the pore (open)spaces

Question 5

Igneous rocks typically have few fractures and few if any pore spaces.In other words,unfractured igneous rocks often exhibit _______ porosity and _______ permeability.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 6

The collapse of the land surface into an underground cavern results in a feature called a

Accepted Answer

A)  disappearing stream. 
B)  sinkhole. 
C)  cone of depression. 
D)  contaminant plume. 
A)  disappearing stream. 
B)  sinkhole. 
C)  cone of depression. 
D)  contaminant plume.

Question 7

A periodic explosive eruption of steam and water from within the ground up through the surface is termed a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

A)  artesian well 
B)  geyser 
C)  spring 
D)  recharge area 
A)  artesian well 
B)  geyser 
C)  spring 
D)  recharge area

Question 8

Vesicular basalt has high porosity but very few fractures.Its pores are isolated and not well connected to each other.Would this basalt then make a good aquifer? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

Vesicular basal would not make a good aq

Question 9

The dissolution of rock produces ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  primary porosity 
B)  primary permeability 
C)  secondary porosity 
D)  a reduction in primary porosity 
A)  primary porosity 
B)  primary permeability 
C)  secondary porosity 
D)  a reduction in primary porosity

Question 10

The water table surface mimics the topography in an area because ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  hydraulic head forces it to stay close to the surface 
B)  the permeability is lowest in hilly areas 
C)  groundwater cannot penetrate below aquitards 
D)  groundwater flow rates are so low 
A)  hydraulic head forces it to stay close to the surface 
B)  the permeability is lowest in hilly areas 
C)  groundwater cannot penetrate below aquitards 
D)  groundwater flow rates are so low

Question 11

Which of the two figures below best shows the location of the water table expected in a dry climate?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  both A and B could be in dry climates 
D)  water table depth does not depend on climate 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  both A and B could be in dry climates 
D)  water table depth does not depend on climate

Question 12

A layer of gravel,where the sediment grains do not fits together tightly,is likely to exhibit

Accepted Answer

A)  karst landscape 
B)  high permeability 
C)  secondary porosity 
D)  a perched water table 
A)  karst landscape 
B)  high permeability 
C)  secondary porosity 
D)  a perched water table

Question 13

Porosity is best described by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  the hardness of a rock or sediment 
B)  the chemistry of a fluid in a rock or sediment 
C)  the amount of open space in a rock or sediment 
D)  the ability of fluids to pass through a substance (rock or sediment) 
A)  the hardness of a rock or sediment 
B)  the chemistry of a fluid in a rock or sediment 
C)  the amount of open space in a rock or sediment 
D)  the ability of fluids to pass through a substance (rock or sediment)

Question 14

The pore spaces in rocks,soils,and sediments that are only partially filled with water occur in the

Accepted Answer

A)  zone of recharge 
B)  saturated zone 
C)  unsaturated zone 
D)  water table 
A)  zone of recharge 
B)  saturated zone 
C)  unsaturated zone 
D)  water table

Question 15

Common features in caves include stalactites,which _______ and stalagmites,which ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  grow down from the ceiling; grow up from the floor 
B)  grow near the mouth of the cave; grow deep in caves where light never penetrates 
C)  grow up from the floor; grow down from the ceiling 
D)  grow above the water table; grow below the water table 
A)  grow down from the ceiling; grow up from the floor 
B)  grow near the mouth of the cave; grow deep in caves where light never penetrates 
C)  grow up from the floor; grow down from the ceiling 
D)  grow above the water table; grow below the water table

Question 16

In what direction does water flow in the unsaturated zone?

Accepted Answer

A)  horizontally 
B)  vertically downward 
C)  it move along the surface of the water table 
D)  vertically upward 
A)  horizontally 
B)  vertically downward 
C)  it move along the surface of the water table 
D)  vertically upward

Question 17

On the image below,identify the drainage divide and regions of discharge and recharge,and label the water table.Then draw arrows showing the flow of groundwater.

Accepted Answer

Students should label the rech

Question 18

The commercial distribution of bottled "spring water" has become a major business worldwide,and many people think that this water offers health benefits.Evaluate this belief.How is spring water different from groundwater?

Accepted Answer

Student answers will vary but should be

Question 19

The wide and long fractures in this limestone cause it to have

Accepted Answer

A)  a high water table. 
B)  high permeability. 
C)  a high recharge area. 
D)  low hydraulic head. 
A)  a high water table. 
B)  high permeability. 
C)  a high recharge area. 
D)  low hydraulic head.

Question 20

What is the purpose of the great height of the water tanks used in the water supply systems of many towns?

Accepted Answer

A)  It protects the water supply from contamination. 
B)  It provides enough water storage to allow a town to continue through a drought. 
C)  It raises the potentiometric surface of pipes and faucets connected to the water system. 
D)  It provides a place to store the large pumps needed to supply a whole town's water. 
A)  It protects the water supply from contamination. 
B)  It provides enough water storage to allow a town to continue through a drought. 
C)  It raises the potentiometric surface of pipes and faucets connected to the water system. 
D)  It provides a place to store the large pumps needed to supply a whole town's water.

Exam 16: A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

The elevation of the water table ________.

Why would a rise in the water table be a potential danger to a homeowner?

Pumping vast quantities of water locally ________.

What are porosity and permeability,and how do they affect the rate of groundwater flow?

Igneous rocks typically have few fractures and few if any pore spaces.In other words,unfractured igneous rocks often exhibit _______ porosity and _______ permeability.

The collapse of the land surface into an underground cavern results in a feature called a

A periodic explosive eruption of steam and water from within the ground up through the surface is termed a(n)________.

Vesicular basalt has high porosity but very few fractures.Its pores are isolated and not well connected to each other.Would this basalt then make a good aquifer? Why or why not?

The dissolution of rock produces ________.

The water table surface mimics the topography in an area because ________.

Which of the two figures below best shows the location of the water table expected in a dry climate?

A layer of gravel,where the sediment grains do not fits together tightly,is likely to exhibit

Porosity is best described by which of the following?

The pore spaces in rocks,soils,and sediments that are only partially filled with water occur in the

Common features in caves include stalactites,which _______ and stalagmites,which ________.

In what direction does water flow in the unsaturated zone?

On the image below,identify the drainage divide and regions of discharge and recharge,and label the water table.Then draw arrows showing the flow of groundwater.

The commercial distribution of bottled "spring water" has become a major business worldwide,and many people think that this water offers health benefits.Evaluate this belief.How is spring water different from groundwater?

The wide and long fractures in this limestone cause it to have

What is the purpose of the great height of the water tanks used in the water supply systems of many towns?

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

Igneous rocks typically have few fractures and few if any pore spaces.In other words,unfractured igneous rocks often exhibit _ porosity and _ permeability.

Common features in caves include stalactites,which _ and stalagmites,which __.

The wide and long fractures in this limestone cause it to have $The wide and long fractures in this limestone cause it to have$