Deck 12: Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts

Question 1

An artesian well occurs when ________________.

A) an aquifer is trapped under pressure between two layers that are less permeable
B) a well is dug through layers of sand and gravel into the water table
C) there are several aquifers that have merged
D) granite is overlain by a sandy substrate, allowing percolation into the aquifer
E) a water-bearing, porous layer of rock, sand, or gravel has accumulated groundwater over a long period of time

Answer 1

an aquifer is trapped under pressure between two layers that are less permeable

Question 2

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Any obstruction placed in a river or stream to block flow

A)dam
B)Ogallala aquifer
C)aqueducts
D)bogs
E)pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Answer 2

dam

Question 3

Of the following, ________________ characterize(s) an oligotrophic lake or pond.

A) high nutrient levels
B) low oxygen concentrations
C) high oxygen concentrations
D) low nutrient levels
E) Both C and D

Answer 3

Both C and D

Question 4

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Seasonal wetlands that form in early spring from snowmelt and rain and dry up as the weather warms

A)dam
B)Ogallala aquifer
C)aqueducts
D)bogs
E)pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 5

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Ponds covered with aquatic vegetation: a stage in succession of aquatic ecosystems

A)dam
B)Ogallala aquifer
C)aqueducts
D)bogs
E)pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 6

Use the figure above to answer the following question
The pair of mallard ducks in the figure eats floating plants such as duckweed, seeds of shoreline plants, and very small organisms at or near the surface. They would be most affected by any change to the __________________.

A) limnetic or profundal zones
B) littoral or limnetic zones
C) limnetic or benthic zones
D) littoral or benthic zones
E) littoral or profundal zones

Question 7

Use the figure above to answer the following question
Rooted freshwater plants cannot live below __________.

A) the littoral zone
B) the benthic zone
C) the limnetic zone
D) the profundal zone
E) the zone of demarcation

Question 8

Of the following, ________________ best describes floodplains.

A) an area where flood irrigation of crops is used, such as a rice paddy
B) a region of land that is periodically flooded when a river overflows
C) a region of land that has been deliberately, permanently flooded due to human disturbance, such as in dam building
D) an area that is incidentally flooded when farming or mining operations change the course of rivers
E) an area that is periodically flooded because humans have altered the landscape

Question 9

We build dams to ________________.

A) control the spread of water borne diseases
B) generate electricity, prevent flooding, and provide irrigation and drinking water
C) improve habitat for native fish
D) drain wetlands for urban development
E) transform watersheds into farms, towns, and recreational areas

Question 10

Precipitation that falls on Earthʹs surface ________________.

A) is mostly taken up by plants or other organisms
B) mostly runs off into salt marshes or the ocean
C) is usually already unusable because of acid rain
D) may take a variety of pathways through surface water or groundwater flow
E) almost entirely filters down into the underground aquifers

Question 11

Humans allocate approximately 70% of their annual freshwater use for ________________.

A) electrical production
B) mining and industrial processes
C) drinking and cooking
D) washing and home use
E) agricultural irrigation and providing water for livestock

Question 12

Use the figure above to answer the following question
Frog eggs are usually attached to vegetation or rocks near the surface of a pond. Tadpoles can use essentially all areas of a shallow pond, or the top few feet of a deeper pond or lake. Adult frogs can live on land or in the water. A frogʹs life would be least likely to be disrupted by a change in the ___________________.

A) littoral zone
B) limnetic zone
C) benthic zone
D) profundal zone
E) abyssal zone

Question 13

One-fifth of Earthʹs total fresh water supply is in ________________.

A) the tundra
B) the ocean
C) estuaries
D) groundwater
E) ponds

Question 14

Freshwater wetlands provide important ecosystem services, including ________________.

A) filtering pollutants
B) slowing runoff
C) reducing flooding
D) recharging aquifers
E) all of the above

Question 15

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Place where the groundwater zones of aeration and saturation meet

A)dam
B)Ogallala aquifer
C)aqueducts
D)bogs
E)pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 16

Water bodies where rivers flow into the oceans, mixing fresh water with saltwater, are called ________________.

A) mangroves
B) littoral ecosystems
C) estuaries
D) upwellings
E) salt marshes

Question 17

Only about 2.5% of all the water on our planet is freshwater, however,________________ .

A) over half of this is in wetlands near coastlines and is becoming contaminated with saltwater
B) over half of this is extremely hard water and is nearly unusable for drinking or agriculture
C) most of this is in polar ice caps, glaciers, and underground aquifers and is not easily accessed for human use
D) most of this is in underground aquifers
E) most of this is in large, freshwater lakes

Question 18

Oceans have absorbed approximately one-third of the excess carbon dioxide that humans have added to Earthʹs atmosphere so far. This has slowed the progression of global climate change, but it has led to ________________.

A) a decrease in the pH (ocean acidification)
B) loss of oxygen from the oceans
C) increases in growth of coral reefs
D) an increase in the pH of the worldʹs oceans
E) growth of oyster populations worldwide

Question 19

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Porous, sponge-like layers of rock, sand, or gravel that are capable of holding water

A)dam
B)Ogallala aquifer
C)aqueducts
D)bogs
E)pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 20

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
The worldʹs largest known aquifer

A)dam
B)Ogallala aquifer
C)aqueducts
D)bogs
E)pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 21

The exceptionally strong warming of the eastern Pacific is referred to as ________________.

A) La Niña
B) the Coriolis effect
C) cyclonic storm formation
D) El Niño
E) downwelling

Question 22

The ʺblue-babyʺ syndrome that suffocates infants is a consequence of excess ________________ in the water supply.

A) carbon
B) chlorine
C) nitrates
D) phosphates
E) E. coli

Question 23

Why was the irrigation of Soviet cotton farming operations a problem?

A) It drained the Aral Sea and resulted in the loss of 60,000 fishing jobs.
B) It was, for the most part, not a problem.
C) Irrigation water came from rivers feeding into one of the largest lakes on Earth and resulted in major contamination of that source.
D) It angered local resort communities, which did not want farming in the region.
E) There was governmental opposition that limited water access, killing crops.

Question 24

Data indicate that the present rate of freshwater consumption in most developed countries is ________________.

A) unsustainable
B) irrelevant, as water is not currently limiting
C) only a problem in areas not on the coast
D) sustainable for the foreseeable future
E) increasing groundwater storage and decreasing surface water storage

Question 25

Which of the following will contribute to water conservation?

A) Watering lawns during peak sunlight hours, when plants need water most
B) Watering lawns at night, using low-flow faucets, landscaping with native plants
C) Planting non-native wetland plants for landscaping
D) Washing dishes by hand
E) Using aerial sprays for crop irrigation

Question 26

All of the following are examples of point sources of pollution except ________________.

A) a large farm
B) a factory discharging wastes into a lake through a large outlet
C) an overturned tanker truck that spills into a creek
D) a sewer pipe
E) a car repair shop dumping waste oil into the storm drain

Question 27

The area that underlies the shallow water bordering continents is called the ________________.

A) continental shelf
B) pelagic zone
C) benthic zone
D) groundwater aeration zone
E) water table

Question 28

Upwelling ________________.

A) is the flow of warm water upward toward the ocean surface
B) occurs when winds blow at right angles to a coastline
C) transports oxygen from deep to surface waters
D) occurs in areas where there are no currents
E) brings benthic nutrients to the ocean surface promoting high primary productivity

Question 29

You want to maintain a healthy pond at your school site. Last year another pond became eutrophic; to avoid that, you want to ________________.

A) provide nitrogen for good nutrient mixing in the benthic zone
B) increase the ozone in the littoral zone
C) avoid increasing phosphorus runoff into the limnetic zone
D) decrease the calcium available in the profundal zone
E) increase the carbon-based fertilizers in the littoral zone

Question 30

A septic system is ________________.

A) an early version of a wastewater treatment plant
B) the use of natural wetlands to cleanse wastewater
C) a rural method of handling sewage
D) a toxic or badly polluted waterway
E) a second level mechanism to remove bacteria at a wastewater treatment plant

Question 31

Water in the surface zone of the ocean is, for the most part ________________.

A) the densest
B) the saltiest
C) the coldest
D) depleted of oxygen
E) well-mixed

Question 32

Much of the biosolids material that is the end product of a water treatment plant is ________________.

A) trucked to special biohazard landfills for disposal
B) placed in deep injection wells to keep it out of the water table
C) used as part of the ʺfillʺ to develop wetlands into agriculture or housing areas
D) used as crop fertilizer in the United States
E) loaded onto barges and sent to underdeveloped countries to use as fertilizer

Question 33

The primary effect of thermal pollution on aquatic ecosystems is ________________.

A) causing a large increase in plant productivity
B) lowering the pH of the water
C) increased evaporation
D) lowering the water table
E) depleting dissolved oxygen

Question 34

The initial consequence of falling water tables would be the loss of ________________.

A) birds that live in upland areas
B) trees that do best with low precipitation
C) deep lakes
D) agricultural irrigation water
E) mammals that thrive in dry habitats

Question 35

Pathogens and waterborne diseases enter drinking water supplies from ________________.

A) excess nitrogen and phosphorus as agricultural runoff
B) oil and chemical spills
C) poorly treated wastewater or from animal wastes from feed lots
D) pesticides entering groundwater
E) upwelling

Question 36

Of the following, ________________ is one of the major pollutants of groundwater.

A) acid rain
B) treated sewage from cities
C) carbon dioxide
D) home garbage
E) fertilizers from agricultural fields

Question 37

Zooxanthellae are ________________.

A) symbiotic algae that provide energy to many species of corals
B) used in the treatment of wastewater
C) bacteria that fix nitrogen in ocean sediments
D) an invasive kelp species in the Indian Ocean
E) an endangered species of fish in the Aral Sea

Question 38

In a municipal water treatment plant, the primary treatment step consists of ________________.

A) adding bacteria to the sewage
B) chlorinating the sewage
C) letting sewage sit in large tanks so suspended solids settle out
D) stirring the sewage to increase oxidation
E) filtering the sewage

Question 39

Wastewater that is stirred and aerated so that aerobic bacteria consume most of the small pieces of organic matter in the wastewater is being subjected to ________________.

A) basic treatment
B) primary treatment
C) pre-treatment
D) secondary treatment
E) tertiary treatment

Question 40

Dam removal in this country ________________.

A) will assist with our transition to more natural forms of renewable energy
B) will probably continue because the environmental impacts of dams are reviewed periodically
C) is controversial because dams provide such good habitats for native species
D) provides many new jobs and opportunities and so is economically beneficial
E) will probably increase rapidly as we move to a more fossil -fuel-dependent society

Question 41

Currently, the greatest ecological crisis facing marine food webs is ________________.

A) abandoned fishing nets
B) plastic dumping
C) radiation
D) overharvesting
E) oil spills

Question 42

A 2003 study reported that ________________% of large -bodied fish and sharks were lost in the first decade of industrialized fishing.

A) 90
B) 20
C) 50
D) 40
E) 10

Question 43

Salt marshes are ________________ ecosystems, while mangroves are ________________.

A) dominated by kelp; found in coral reefs
B) benthic; freshwater tropical ecosystems
C) temperate intertidal; found on subtropical and tropical shorelines
D) freshwater; pelagic
E) tropical intertidal; found on temperate shorelines

Question 44

Explain the NADW in the context of global climate change.

Question 45

Artificial wetlands ________________.

A) are created using xeriscaping methods
B) are the major program for replacing lost natural wetlands
C) can help purify water and also provide recreational opportunities
D) are a source of arsenic contamination in Bangladesh
E) purify water for use as bottled drinking water

Question 46

Summarize some of the positive effects of establishing marine reserves.

Question 47

Most marine protected areas ________________.

A) are in the open oceans
B) are along the coastlines of developed nations
C) have been established without the consent of the United States
D) prohibit the installation if oil pipelines and fiber-optic cable lines within them
E) ban fishing and extractive activities

Question 48

In thermohaline circulation of global current systems, surface water is ________________.

A) driven by winds from north to south
B) warm and dense
C) cold and dense
D) less salty, less dense, and warmer
E) saltier and colder

Question 49

Recent research that analyzed the content of commercial bottled water indicates that ________________.

A) bottled water is no safer or purer than most samples of tap water
B) bottled water is significantly cheaper than tap water
C) all surveyed brands had information about the source and how it was treated
D) bottled water has no contamination from hormone mimic plasticizers
E) bottled water consumes less fossil fuels in reaching the consumer than tap water does

Question 50

Many present-day fisheries managers ________________.

A) wish to set aside areas of ocean where systems can function without human interference
B) favor short-term solutions to marine ecosystem problems
C) favor taxes on commercial fishing boats
D) favor protection of commercially valuable species and not others
E) want all laws regarding fishing to be abolished

Question 51

Bycatch ________________.

A) is fishing only at deep levels of the ocean
B) refers to the accidental capture of animals
C) is the practice of returning female and young fish back to the ocean
D) is fishing only at the surface of the ocean
E) is fishing for two species of fish concurrently

Question 52

Discuss the environmental, quality and economic issues associated with the manufacture and consumption of bottled water.

Question 53

Ignoring human alterations to the landscape, what causes floods, and what is their value ecologically?

Question 54

Using the Three Gorges Dam on Chinaʹs Yangtze River as an example, what are the benefits and costs associated with building dams?

Question 55

How can agricultural irrigation practices be altered to decrease loss of freshwater?

Question 56

Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas can cause ________________ to move into aquifers, making the water undrinkable.

A) hard water ions
B) VOCs
C) suspended solids
D) untreated sewage
E) saltwater

Question 57

Describe the benefits obtained by the creation of artificial wetlands.

Question 58

Xeriscaping can save water by ________________.

A) creating wetlands instead of landscaping
B) planting invasive exotic plant species
C) eliminating landscape plantings, replacing plants with rocks, sand and sculpture
D) collecting rain water and storing it in cisterns or tanks
E) planting native or drought-resistant plants with little or no water requirements

Question 59

Define water pollution, point source, and nonpoint source pollution. Which of the two (point source or
non-point source) is easier to identify? Which is easier to legislate? Which currently poses the greatest threat to freshwater?

Question 60

The rapid melting of Greenlandʹs ice cap could disrupt the NADW formation by ________________.

A) adding huge amounts of less dense fresh water to the surface of the system
B) reversing the El Niño-La Niña cycle
C) adding excess nutrients to cold northern waters
D) adding heat and salt to deep ocean waters
E) acidifying ocean water

Question 61

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
Sinkholes are an extreme form of ________________.

A) water table
B) subsidence
C) aquifer
D) consumptive use
E) artesian aquifer

Question 62

Explain how warmer coastal waters resulting from global climate change may affect coral reefs.

Question 63

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
A serious problem that results from excessive water withdrawn from aquifers is that ________________.

A) the soils contaminate the aquifer, making it unfit for human use
B) the aquifer decreases in size and new aquifers form
C) the surrounding soils are compacted and the size of the aquifer is reduced
D) the aquifer increases in size, draining a larger surface area and leaving less water in rivers, streams, and lakes
E) the water tends to overflow and flood the entire area

Question 64

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
In July of 2001, the town of Spring Hill, Florida, about 45 miles north of Tampa, had 18 sinkholes appear in a single day. The largest holes were nearly 100 feet deep. A good explanation for this is that ________________.

A) agriculture had increased, and the water table rose with irrigation recharge
B) hurricanes had recently occurred, and the water table rose
C) prolonged rainstorms had recently occurred, and the water table rose
D) earthquakes had recently occurred, and the water table sank
E) a drought had recently occurred, along with increased development

Question 65

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
Sinkholes can occur when ________________.

A) the water level in an aquifer rises, pushing through to the surface
B) excessive water use lowers a water table and weakens the substrate
C) the water in an artesian aquifer is under sufficient pressure that it breaks through to the surface
D) too much weight above an aquifer causes it to cave in
E) nonconsumptive use lowers an aquifer

Question 66

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
One reasonable way to prevent sinkholes might be to ________________.

A) pump sand and gravel into the aquifer to fill in the bottom levels, thus raising the water table
B) install supports to maintain the shape of the underground aquifer
C) pump wastewater and sewage directly into the aquifer to maintain the water table
D) increase groundwater recharge by constructing artificial wetlands that use treated municipal wastewater
E) have the local water company regularly transfer water from one local aquifer to the next, maintaining the average water level

Question 67

Discuss the impacts of human-made pollution on ocean ecosystems.

Question 68

Why is too much algal growth, as a result of eutrophication, a problem in a freshwater system?

Question 69

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the number of human -induced sinkholes has doubled since 1930. Insurance claims increased 1200% from 1987 to 1991, costing nearly $100 million. A major reason for this is ________________.

A) decreases in agriculture
B) increased water consumption through development and urbanization
C) roadway construction, leading to increased runoff
D) global warming
E) increased rainfall, raising the water level

Question 70

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
You have been hired by a small town on the Florida coast to give its residents advice about avoiding further sinkholes. You tell them that ________________.

A) they should limit development and recycle wastewater
B) if they stay here, sinkholes will occur; they should move
C) they should increase groundwater pumping
D) pumping in ocean water will recharge the aquifer
E) because sinkholes are a natural occurrence, nothing they do will help