Deck 17: Water Resources

Question 1

Which of these numbered features contains most of Earth's water?

A) 1-oceans
B) 2-atmosphere
C) 3-glaciers and ice sheets
D) 4-groundwater
E) 5-lakes

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of these numbered features contains most of Earth's freshwater?

A) 1-ocean
B) 2-atmosphere
C) 3-glaciers and ice sheets
D) 4-groundwater
E) 5-lakes

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Of the following, which has the greatest total volume of water?

A) the atmosphere
B) groundwater
C) ice caps and glaciers
D) rivers and lakes

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following settings contains the least amount of water?

A) oceans
B) lakes
C) groundwater
D) ice caps and glaciers
E) atmosphere

Question 5

Which of the following is occurring in the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho?

A) water from rivers soaks into the ground, causing the rivers to disappear be lost)
B) a large amount of water flows underground
C) huge springs result where groundwater flows onto the surface
D) all of these are occurring

Question 6

What does the hydrologic cycle reference?

A) seawater that is drawn into mid-ocean ridges, heated, and rises to the surface
B) water that is heated by magma and rises in hot springs
C) the rising and falling of tides in a cyclical manner
D) the way water is used to generate electrical energy
E) none of these

Question 7

Which of the following statements correctly describes the production of water on Earth?

A) Most of Earth's water originated during the planet's formation and from comets.
B) Earth processes are continually creating and destroying water.
C) The amount of water on Earth has been increasing rapidly over the past 1,000 years.

Question 8

Which two uses consume most freshwater in the United States?

A) drinking water and showering
B) mining and raising livestock
C) irrigation and drinking water
D) mining and industrial use
E) thermoelectric power and irrigation

Question 9

Which of these numbered features contains the least amount of Earth's water?

A) 1-ocean
B) 2-atmosphere
C) 3-glaciers and ice sheets
D) 4-groundwater
E) 5-lakes

Question 10

Where is most of Earth's freshwater?

A) ice caps, glaciers, and groundwater
B) groundwater and rivers
C) lakes and swamps
D) rivers and streams
E) oceans

Question 11

Which of the following is a correctly described part of the hydrologic cycle?

A) raindrops form through the process of evaporation
B) precipitation refers to minerals coating sand grains with natural cement
C) most groundwater forms when water on the surface infiltrates into the ground
D) movement of water is restricted to rainfall and rivers
E) none of these

Question 12

Which of the following is most similar in volume to an acre-foot of water?

A) 20 million gallons
B) 9 football fields covered with one-tenth of a foot of water
C) an acre covered with 3 feet 1 meter) of water
D) a square mile covered with 1 foot of water

Question 13

Which of the following factors least influences infiltration capacity?

A) slope of the land
B) nature of the vegetative cover
C) rainfall intensity
D) prior wetted condition of the soil
E) ambient temperature

Question 14

Which source of drinking water is most likely to be pure and safe to drink?

A) spring water
B) bottled spring water
C) river water
D) municipal water

Question 15

In which areas on the accompanying figure is condensation occurring?

A) 1 and 2
B) 2 and 3
C) 3 and 4
D) 1 and 3
E) 2 and 4

Question 16

Which of the following events is most like the formation of a cloud?

A) water running off a roof
B) water forming on a cold object on a hot, humid summer day
C) water entering the air from the leaves of growing plants
D) water moving downward into the soil after a summer rain storm

Question 17

Which of the following energy sources drives the hydrologic cycle?

A) internal heat energy
B) river flow
C) wind energy
D) solar energy
E) gravity

Question 18

Which of the following units cannot be used to measure the volume of water?

A) gallon
B) cubic meter
C) acre
D) liter

Question 19

Which of the following contributes water to a stream?

A) direct precipitation
B) groundwater
C) snowmelt
D) all of these contribute water to a stream

Question 20

Which of the following is most similar in volume to an acre-foot of water?

A) 1,000 gallons
B) an acre covered to a depth of 3 feet 1 meter)
C) most of a football field covered to a depth of 1 foot
D) a square mile of land covered to a depth of 3 feet 1 meter)
E) 20 million gallons

Question 21

What is the nature of the water table?

A) it is the boundary between the saturated zone and unsaturated zone
B) below the water table, water fills pore spaces and can flow
C) infiltrating water generally passes through the water table to become groundwater
D) all of these
E) a and b only

Question 22

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the Earth's supply of freshwater?

A) The largest volume exists in lakes and reservoirs.
B) There is more in the form of water vapor in the atmosphere than there is as liquid groundwater.
C) There is more freshwater in glaciers and ice sheets than exists as groundwater.
D) There is more water in rivers than exists as soil moisture and groundwater.

Question 23

Which of the following materials probably has the highest porosity?

A) poorly sorted sediment
B) sediment composed only of rounded cobbles that rest directly on one another
C) a mixture of sand, silt, and clay
D) a coarse-grained granite

Question 24

What is a possible way to decrease permeability?

A) seal fractures with clays and other minerals
B) fill pores between grains with clays and other fine-grained materials
C) fill pores with natural cement
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 25

What is a possible way to decrease permeability?

A) fracture a rock
B) compact sediment
C) have groundwater dissolve cement between the grains
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 26

What is the main way groundwater accumulates?

A) seawater in the oceans loses its salt via the process of saltation
B) magma releases water as part of the hydrologic cycle
C) precipitation and surface water infiltrate through the upper layers of soil
D) plants release water and carbon dioxide through their roots

Question 27

Which of the following is a valid statement with relevance to groundwater?

A) in most sediments, adjacent grains fit tightly together
B) fractures are the main way groundwater moves through some rocks, such as granite
C) most groundwater occurs in underground lakes
D) most groundwater occurs in underground rivers
E) all of these

Question 28

Which of the following materials probably has the highest porosity?

A) dry, uncompacted clay particles
B) granite with few fractures but very large crystals
C) a limestone that has a few percent open cavities
D) poorly sorted sediment

Question 29

What is a main way surface waters become groundwater?

A) water in the unsaturated zone evaporates
B) water flows through the unsaturated zone and into the saturated zone
C) water flows from the saturated zone and into the unsaturated zone
D) water flows from the water table through the unsaturated zone
E) none of these

Question 30

What is a possible way to increase permeability?

A) seal fractures with clays and other minerals
B) fill pores between grains with clays and other fine-grained materials
C) fill pores with natural cement
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 31

In a material that holds groundwater, porosity:

A) controls the amount of water that can be stored
B) determines the composition of the cement between grains and clasts
C) does not depend on the size and shape of grains and clasts
D) is constant from one type of material to another

Question 32

Which of the following materials has high porosity and high permeability?

A) unfractured granite
B) well-sorted gravel
C) compacted clay
D) uncompacted clay
E) poorly sorted sand, silt, and clay

Question 33

Which of the following materials probably has the highest permeability?

A) highly fractured granite
B) compacted clays with moderate porosity
C) highly porous volcanic rock with holes that are isolated from one another
D) granite with sparse fractures that are filled with insoluble material

Question 34

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency establishes drinking water standards to:

A) determine how much water each state can use on a yearly basis
B) set a safe limit on the concentration of select contaminants in groundwater
C) control the bottled drinking water industry

Question 35

Most groundwater pumped in the United States is used for:

A) industry
B) irrigation
C) drinking water
D) swimming pools

Question 36

Which of the following materials probably has the lowest porosity?

A) well sorted, fine-grained sediment
B) well sorted, coarse-grained sediment
C) unfractured granite
D) sand with well-rounded grains

Question 37

Which of the following materials probably has the lowest permeability?

A) highly fractured granite
B) compacted clay with abundant tiny pore spaces
C) loosely cemented, well-sorted sediment
D) loosely cemented, well-rounded sand grains

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT true about the water table?

A) the water table is right at the land surface in swamps
B) the water table is generally horizontal
C) the water table is above the land surface in lakes
D) overpumping can change the slope of the water table

Question 39

Which of the following is a valid statement with relevance to groundwater?

A) In most sediments, adjacent grains fit tightly together.
B) Fractures are the main way groundwater moves through some rocks, such as granite.
C) Most groundwater occurs in caves and underground lakes.
D) None of these.

Question 40

In the United States, which of the following uses the most water?

A) Irrigation
B) Public and domestic use
C) Mining
D) Livestock

Question 41

Each number on this figure refers to a location with groundwater in a subsurface material that is consistent in character across the entire figure. Of these locations, which would likely have the slowest groundwater flow?

A) 1 and 2
B) 2 and 3
C) 3 and 4
D) 4 and 5
E) 1 and 5

Question 42

Groundwater velocity the rate of movement of ground water) is most strongly influenced by which of the following factors?

A) local climate and humidity
B) depth to the water table
C) presence of wells
D) the slope gradient) of the water table

Question 43

Each number on this figure refers to a location with groundwater in a subsurface material that is consistent in character across the entire figure. Of these locations, which would likely have the fastest groundwater flow?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Question 44

The area of subsurface where the pore spaces are filled with water is called the

A) unsaturated zone
B) saturated zone
C) water table

Question 45

Each number on this figure refers to a location with groundwater in a subsurface material that is consistent in character across the entire figure. Of these locations, which one has the water table most clearly above the surface?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Question 46

Each number on this figure refers to a location with groundwater in a subsurface material that is consistent in character across the entire figure. Of these locations, which two sites are on the opposite side of a groundwater divide?

A) between 1 and 2
B) between 2 and 3
C) between 3 and 4
D) between 4 and 5
E) none of these

Question 47

Which of the following materials would best to drill into for a good supply of groundwater?

A) shale
B) salt
C) sand and gravel
D) granite
E) all of these

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT true about groundwater flow?

A) in some igneous groundwater reservoirs, flow is determined by the orientation of fractures
B) excess pumping from wells can cause subsidence and reduction of porosity
C) a decrease in the gradient slope of the water table) increases the velocity
D) water moves from areas where the water table is highest to areas where it is lowest

Question 49

What is a possible way to increase permeability?

A) fracture the rock
B) fill the pores with a natural cement
C) compact a clay so that the particles are aligned
D) all of these

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a way to change the porosity of a rock?

A) cut the rock with fractures
B) compact clay and other sediment
C) deposit natural cement into pores
D) fill the pores with water

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT true about the unsaturated zone?

A) pore spaces in the unsaturated zone contain air with no water
B) it overlies the water table
C) it overlies the saturated zone
D) there is an unsaturated zone below some rivers

Question 52

Which of the following materials has low to moderate porosity but high permeability?

A) fractured granite
B) compacted clays
C) uncompacted clays
D) well-sorted sediment

Question 53

Each number on this figure refers to a location with groundwater in a subsurface material that is consistent in character across the entire figure. Of these locations, which one would have groundwater flowing to the left?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Question 54

Which of the following materials has moderate to high porosity but low permeability?

A) fractured sandstone
B) uncompacted clays
C) well-sorted gravel
D) well-sorted sand

Question 55

Which of the following geologic materials usually has the highest permeability?

A) Loosely cemented gravel and sand
B) Shales and similar types of rocks
C) Vesicular volcanic rock

Question 56

The part of the subsurface where most of the pore spaces are filled with air is the:

A) unsaturated zone
B) saturated zone
C) aquifer

Question 57

Approximately how fast does groundwater move beneath the surface of the Earth?

A) a few centimeters per day
B) a few meters per day
C) a few kilometers per day
D) a few kilometers per hour

Question 58

Which of the following materials has low porosity and low permeability?

A) unfractured granite
B) uncompacted clays
C) limestone with caverns
D) well-sorted sand

Question 59

The water table is the:

A) top of the zone of saturation
B) bottom of the zone of saturation
C) zone of saturation

Question 60

Which of the following materials probably has the highest permeability?

A) loosely cemented sand and gravel
B) compacted clay with moderate porosity
C) highly porous volcanic rock with holes that are isolated from one another
D) unfractured granite

Question 61

Which of the following combinations make for the best groundwater reservoir?

A) low permeability and low porosity
B) low permeability and high porosity
C) high permeability and low porosity
D) high permeability and high porosity

Question 62

Which of the following is most likely to be associated with a confined aquifer?

A) perched water table
B) lake
C) artesian well
D) unsaturated zone

Question 63

Which sequence of rocks in the associated figures could result in a confined aquifer L = low permeability and H = high permeability)?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 64

Which of the following controls the rate of groundwater flow?

A) the slope of the water table
B) the permeability of the rocks
C) how fractured the rocks are
D) all of these

Question 65

The term for groundwater that is confined and rises in a well because it is under pressure is:

A) artesian
B) groundwater divide
C) hydraulic gradient

Question 66

Which of the following is true about the water table?

A) The water table has a similar shape to topography but is more subdued.
B) The water table is highest in elevation beneath lakes.
C) In any area, the water table slopes a consistent amount and direction.
D) All of these.
E) None of these.

Question 67

This cross section shows the location of 5 wells and the water table? Which well is most likely to be an artesian well?

A) well A
B) well B
C) well C
D) well D
E) well E

Question 68

The water table has:

A) a shape similar to that of the land surface lying above it
B) a shape that is opposite of the shape of the surface of the land lying above it
C) an exact shape of the surface of the land lying above it

Question 69

This diagram shows a place underlain by uniform materials. What is the approximate average gradient slope) of the water table in this location? The vertical exaggeration on this diagram is 10x.

A) less than 20 m/km
B) 20 m/km
C) 100 m/km
D) 200 m/km

Question 70

The permeability of a material refers to:

A) the volume of air space in a material
B) a meandering stream's movement across the underlying bedrock
C) the ease with which a stream erodes material
D) the ability of water to flow through a material

Question 71

Which of the following is true about the water table?

A) the shape of the water table does not mimic topography
B) the water table generally is highest in elevation beneath lakes
C) the water table can slope in opposite directions beneath a hill
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 72

This diagram shows a place underlain by uniform materials. Wells have been dug at A and B. Testing has shown the flow of groundwater to be 4 km/yr. If the people at A dump a pesticide into their well, how long will it probably take before well B becomes contaminated? The vertical exaggeration on this diagram is 10x.

A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 4 years
D) 10 years

Question 73

The shape of a water table is determined by the topography of the surface of the land above it. The high part of a water table separating parts sloping in opposite directions is called the:

A) groundwater divide
B) aquifer
C) hydraulic gradient

Question 74

The slope of a water table is also called the:

A) hydraulic gradient
B) groundwater divide
C) aquifer divide
D) groundwater gradient

Question 75

This cross section shows the location of a septic tank with harmful bacteria and 5 wells. Which well is least likely to become contaminated?

A) well A
B) well B
C) well C
D) well D
E) well E

Question 76

Which of the following statements about porosity is NOT valid?

A) the amount of water that can be stored depends on the porosity
B) porosity partly depends on size and shape of grains and clasts
C) better sorted sediments have more porosity than unsorted ones
D) fractures may be the only real porosity in some igneous rocks
E) all of these are valid

Question 77

Under what conditions is it possible for a material to have both high porosity and low permeability?

A) it is not possible to have both high porosity and low permeability
B) it is possible only if the rock is a sandstone
C) it is possible only if the rock is a granite
D) it is possible if the void spaces are very small or are not well connected

Question 78

Which of the following would NOT be a preferred characteristic of a good aquifer?

A) high permeability
B) high porosity
C) unsaturated pores
D) all of these

Question 79

Which of the following aquifers require a low permeability zone above it or below it?

A) artesian aquifer
B) perched aquifer
C) confined aquifer
D) all of these

Question 80

Which of the following rocks has the highest porosity?

A) a fine-grained shale
B) lightly cemented sandstone
C) a coarsely crystalline granite
D) a metamorphic schist or gneiss