Deck 11: Water Resources and Water Pollution

Question 1

Which of the following statements is false?

A) The top of the groundwater zone is the water table.
B) The recharge of aquifers below cities is very efficient because of storm drains.
C) In the zone of saturation, spaces in rock and soil are completely filled with water.
D) Rivers of underground water are sometimes found in caverns in aquifers.
E) More than one of these choices is false.

Answer 1

The recharge of aquifers below cities is very efficient because of storm drains.

Question 2

Ultimately, which of the following is the source of energy that continually drives the hydrologic cycle?

A) Gravity
B) energy from the sun and gravity
C) Electricity
D) geothermal energy
E) Wind

Answer 2

energy from the sun and gravity

Question 3

We can say that the United States has _____________freshwater scarcity stress

A) No
B) very little or minimal
C) Average
D) Spotty
E) Widespread

Answer 3

Widespread

Question 4

A water resource that would be categorized as nonrenewable would be

A) water vapor in the atmosphere
B) Precipitation
C) surface water in lakes and streams
D) confined aquifers
E) Snowpack

Question 5

Virtual water is water

A) that exists only in deep underground aquifers
B) that we hope to be able to draw on in coming years
C) that is not directly consumed but is used to provide us with food and other consumer products
D) that comes as precipitation in desert areas
E) that is predicted to be in runoff from snowfields at high altitudes

Question 6

Large dams and reservoirs

A) reduce danger of flooding upstream
B) disrupt migration and spawning of fish
C) cannot be used for outdoor recreation
D) can be used to provide electric power
E) two of these answers are correct

Question 7

The Colorado River system can be said to provide water and electricity for

A) one of every ten people in the United States
B) 1% of people in the United States
C) 5% of people in the United States
D) 10 million people in the United States
E) The Colorado River does not provide electricity, but provides water for 10% of the U.S. population

Question 8

Water covers about ____% of the Earth's surface.

A) 51
B) 61
C) 71
D) 81
E) 91

Question 9

Water that is used for crop irrigation in southern California's Imperial Valley originates as snowmelt in the

A) Sierra Nevada mountain range
B) Tehachapi mountain range of southern California
C) Rocky Mountains
D) springs that feed the Colorado River in nearby Arizona
E) Cascade Mountain range

Question 10

That portion of surface runoff that we can generally count on as a stable source of freshwater from year to year is best described as

A) surface water
B) drainage basin
C) reliable runoff
D) watershed
E) precipitation

Question 11

Lake Powell

A) is a reservoir behind Hoover Dam and is the second largest reservoir in the U.S.
B) is a reservoir behind Hoover Dam and is the largest reservoir in the U.S.
C) is a reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam and is the largest reservoir in the U.S.
D) is a reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam and is the second largest reservoir in the U.S.
E) is behind Hoover Dam and Lake Mead is behind Glen Canyon Dam

Question 12

Which of the following is not a way to prevent groundwater depletion?

A) waste less water
B) subsidize water conservation
C) limit the number of wells
D) do not grow water intensive crops in dry areas
E) tax water pumped from wells near surface waters

Question 13

Currently, in the United States, groundwater is being withdrawn ____ times faster than it is being replaced.

A) 2
B) 4
C) 8
D) 10
E) 20

Question 14

Worldwide, about 70% of the water withdrawn each year is used for

A) industrial processes
B) cooling towers of power plants
C) irrigation of croplands and raising livestock
D) domestic use
E) water theme parks in tourist areas

Question 15

Which of the following statements about the Colorado River is not true?

A) 14 major dams and reservoirs have been built along the river
B) the system has experienced severe drought since 1999
C) it provides resources to people in 7 states
D) part of the upper basin originates in the state of Wyoming
E) the river still delivers the same amount of water to the sea in the Gulf of California

Question 16

The Ogallala is which of the following?

A) a massive desalination plant in the Middle East
B) the world's largest known aquifer
C) a pumping station drawing fresh water from the Great Lakes for use in the S.W. United States
D) a large body of water in Russia that has almost completely dried up
E) a river in the Middle East that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, and has the potential to become dried up due to extensive irrigation systems

Question 17

The amount of water needed to produce the amount of beef in one single hamburger (most of which is used to grow the grain to feed cattle) is approximately

A) the same volume as the hamburger is
B) 10 gallons
C) 16 gallons
D) 10 bathtubs full of water
E) 16 bathtubs full of water

Question 18

In 2008, Saudi Arabia announced that it will stop producing wheat by 2016 and will from that point on import wheat to feed its 29 million people. This decision has been made because

A) its major deep aquifer has been depleted by drawing water for irrigation
B) multiple years of severe droughts have depleted the water table
C) this very rich, oil-financed economy can easily import food rather than grow its own
D) desalinization of sea water around Saudi Arabia has contaminated local freshwater reserves
E) oil seepage from oil fields has contaminated local freshwater reserves

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the Aral Sea is false?

A) Water has been diverted from the Aral Sea and the two rivers that replenish its water for use in manufacturing.
B) The volume of the Aral Sea has dropped by 90%.
C) The salinity levels have risen dramatically.
D) Most native fish species have disappeared.
E) Salts carried by the wind from the dried up lake basin are negatively impacting local crops.

Question 20

In the western United States, as compared to the eastern United States, the major water problem(s) is (are)

A) Flooding
B) insufficient water for some urban areas
C) chronic drought and insufficient runoff
D) pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater
E) insufficient water for industry

Question 21

The smart card water manager system that is used in ___________has typically reduced water and electricity use, and has reduced household water bills by about _______%

A) Singapore, 10%
B) Beijing, 40%
C) Singapore, 40%
D) Brazil, 10%
E) Brazil, 40%

Question 22

According to the World Resources Institute, what percentage of the water that people use throughout the world is unnecessarily wasted?

A) one-tenth
B) one-third
C) one-fourth
D) one-half
E) two-thirds

Question 23

Humans increase the likelihood of flooding by all of the following activities except

A) building on wetlands
B) draining wetlands
C) removing water-absorbing vegetation
D) building a park on a riverbank
E) building levees

Question 24

It is most economically and environmentally sound to focus water resource management on

A) increasing the water supply
B) controlling the "mining" of groundwater
C) reducing unnecessary waste of water
D) developing desalination plants
E) cloud seeding and towing icebergs to arid regions

Question 25

Which of the following is the most efficient form of irrigation?

A) flood irrigation
B) center-pivot irrigation
C) low pressure irrigation
D) precision sprinkler irrigation
E) micro irrigation

Question 26

In some areas of the Ogallala aquifer, water is being pumped

A) four times faster than it is being replenished
B) at the same rate it is being replenished
C) 10 to 40 times faster than it is being replenished
D) It is not possible to determine this, since the aquifer is so far below ground.
E) The Ogallala is not being pumped at this point in time due to a Federal court decision.

Question 27

All of the following are actions that the country of Bangladesh is implementing to adapt to sea level rises due to climate change except

A) using varieties of rice that can better tolerate flooding
B) shifting to new crops such as maize
C) building small ponds that can collect monsoon rainwater to be used for irrigation during dry periods
D) creating a network of earthen embankments to protect against high tides
E) develop a system of capturing wave action during monsoons to run small, local power plants

Question 28

Which of the following statements about desalination is true?

A) The common methods of desalination are reverse osmosis and transpiration.
B) Desalination is expensive.
C) The removed salt can be dumped back into the ocean with no real concerns.
D) Desalination is the best approach to solving irrigation problems.
E) Desalination is the best method of acquiring clear water for drinking.

Question 29

Benefits of floods include all of the following except

A) provision of productive farmland
B) refilling of wetlands
C) recharging of groundwater
D) filling up of soil air spaces to prevent oxidation of nutrients
E) supporting biodiversity

Question 30

Saltwater intrusion into freshwater (drinking water) supplies can occur when

A) land subsidence occurs
B) snowpack is used as drinking water in areas close to saltwater bodies
C) groundwater is withdrawn near saltwater bodies
D) water is drawn from desert lakes to irrigate crops
E) runoff of agricultural fields drains into wells

Question 31

According to the United Nations, from 30% to 60% of all water supplied in all of the world's major cities in developing countries is

A) used for crop irrigation
B) lost through leakage of water mains, pipes, pumps, and valves
C) recycled as grey water
D) used for watering landscaping
E) polluted

Question 32

Conflicts within and between countries over scarce water supplies is expected to be most severe in

A) industrialized, developed countries
B) South America
C) the United Kingdom
D) the Middle East and part of Asia
E) all of these countries

Question 33

Solutions to the increasing problem with water shortages in central and southern California include

A) reducing water waste by improving irrigation efficiency
B) not growing water-thirsty crops in this arid climate
C) raising the historically low cost of water to encourage water conservation
D) educating water users as the value of this precious resource
E) reducing water waste by improving irrigation efficiency, not growing water-thirsty crops in this arid climate and raising the historically low cost of water to encourage conservation

Question 34

Which of the following actions will help to decrease the single greatest use of domestic water in the United States?

A) use a drip system in your garden
B) use a low-flow shower head
C) use native plants in your landscaping that do not require a lot of extra water
D) install a water-saving toilet tank
E) use grey water to water your houseplants

Question 35

Floods and droughts are

A) strictly natural disasters
B) influenced by human activities
C) decreased by increases in human population
D) independent of human activity
E) always predictable and cyclic

Question 36

Floodplains usually contain

A) highly productive wetlands
B) debris that has been deposited during floods
C) high concentrations of agricultural chemical runoff
D) pest insect populations
E) nutrient poor soil

Question 37

Which of the following is true of flood irrigation?

A) It relies solely on water that falls directly on the crop fields in the form of precipitation.
B) It results in 40% inefficient loss of the water applied.
C) It is the primary form of irrigation used in China.
D) It results in 40% inefficient loss of the water applied and it is the primary form of irrigation used in China.
E) At this time, it is the most efficient way to irrigate, from all of the known methods.

Question 38

To reduce flooding risks, an environmentalist is most likely to choose

A) floodplain management
B) a flood control dam
C) channelization of streams
D) artificial levees
E) artificial levees combined with channelization of streams

Question 39

According to water resource experts, what are the two main causes of water waste?

A) lack of government subsidies for improving the efficiency of water use and ignorance about the amount of water being wasted
B) low cost of water to users and lack of government subsidies for improving the efficiency of water use
C) lack of desire to conserve water and knowledge that there is actually enough water on the planet to supply all uses
D) lack of information about efficient irrigation systems and lack of regulation of water use
E) There is a single main cause of water waste and it is the lack of regulation of water use.

Question 40

Which of the following human activities is thought to be directly linked to why the damage from Hurricane Katrina was so devastating to the city of New Orleans?

A) the overdraft of groundwater from the region
B) the implementation of xeriscaping in the region
C) the degradation or removal of coastal wetlands in the region
D) the conversion of forests into land used for agriculture
E) the channelization of streams nearby

Question 41

Which of the following statements about underground contaminants is false?

A) Degradable organic wastes do not decompose as rapidly underground as on the surface.
B) There is little dissolved oxygen to aid in degradation of wastes.
C) Waste products are diluted and dispersed quickly in underground aquifers.
D) It can take hundreds to thousands of years for contaminated groundwater to cleanse itself of degradable wastes.
E) In some coastal areas, groundwater has been contaminated by saltwater intrusion.

Question 42

Which of the following is a point source of pollution?

A) acid deposition
B) urban streets
C) oil tankers
D) suburban lawns
E) parking lots

Question 43

All of the following are nonpoint sources of water pollution except

A) offshore oil wells
B) livestock feedlots
C) urban lands
D) Croplands
E) parking lots

Question 44

About ____ of the 100,000 medium to large lakes in the U.S. suffer from cultural eutrophication.

A) one-fifth
B) one-fourth
C) one-third
D) one-half
E) one-tenth

Question 45

Acids, salts, and metals are examples of

A) oxygen-demanding wastes
B) organic plant nutrients
C) inorganic plant nutrients
D) inorganic chemicals
E) sediment

Question 46

Nitrates and phosphates are examples of

A) disease-causing agents
B) oxygen-demanding wastes
C) organic chemicals
D) plant nutrients
E) Sediment

Question 47

One class of pollutants that can cause excessive growth of algae is

A) radioactive substances
B) oxygen-demanding wastes
C) plant nutrients
D) organic chemicals
E) Sediment

Question 48

The majority of the oil pollution of the ocean comes from

A) blowouts (rupture of a borehole of an oil rig in the ocean)
B) tanker accidents
C) environmental terrorism
D) runoff from land
E) normal operation of offshore wells

Question 49

Assume you are vacationing by a small lake, where you intend to do some fishing. When you arrive at this lake, you notice a slight sulfur smell. Which phase of cultural eutrophication does this sulfur smell indicate?

A) An algal bloom.
B) Anaerobic bacteria are decomposing the aerobic organisms.
C) Aerobic bacteria are decomposing the algae.
D) Fish have died from lack of oxygen.
E) Insect populations in the lake are dying off.

Question 50

Which of the following decrease(s) photosynthesis in bodies of water?

A) disease-causing organisms
B) inorganic plant nutrients
C) sediment such as soil or silt
D) heat
E) organic chemicals

Question 51

_______________________ is the only effective way to protect groundwater.

A) pollution prevention
B) community-based local clean up
C) bioremediation
D) sewage treatment
E) stream restoration

Question 52

The practice of suspending rust particles in contaminated water, and then drawing out the rust with hand-held magnets, has been effective in dealing with

A) DDT contaminated water
B) arsenic contaminated water
C) oil contaminated water
D) heavy metal contaminated water
E) acidified water secondary to acid rain

Question 53

Arsenic is released into drinking water

A) from inorganic fertilizers
B) from sewage and animal wastes
C) from food processing facilities
D) when any well is drilled down to the water table
E) from mining refuse

Question 54

Groundwater

A) has turbulent flows that dilute pollutants
B) has large populations of decomposing bacteria that break down degradable wastes
C) is cold, which slows down decomposition rates
D) may take five to ten years to cleanse itself of wastes
E) is quickly renewable

Question 55

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Heat lowers dissolved oxygen in streams and rivers.
B) Organic wastes that can be decomposed by aerobic bacteria reduce the amount of oxygen in the water supply.
C) Toxic chemicals released from industries can result in fish kills.
D) Inorganic nutrients such as fertilizers have no adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems.
E) Sediment can cloud water and reduce photosynthesis.

Question 56

An oxygen sag curve occurs when

A) Fish population numbers sag.
B) Heavy metals that have entered a stream bind oxygen molecules and remove them from the available oxygen supply.
C) The breakdown of biodegradable wastes by bacteria lowers the available oxygen in the water for organisms with high oxygen requirements.
D) Carbon dioxide values exceed dissolved oxygen values.
E) Oxygen content in the air around a particular body of water becomes slightly lower than normal

Question 57

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Rivers are more vulnerable than lakes to contamination by plant nutrients, oil, toxins, and pesticides.
B) Lakes are more susceptible to pollution because of little water flow.
C) Eutrophication is a natural process and can occur without the influence of humans.
D) Human activities can induce cultural eutrophication.
E) Eutrophication is caused by inputs of nutrients from the surrounding land basin.

Question 58

Which of the following aquatic ecosystems receives the vast majority of the global inputs of pollution?

A) estuary
B) swiftly flowing stream
C) deep-water ocean
D) coastal parts of the ocean
E) slow-moving river

Question 59

Which of the following aquatic ecosystems is most capable of diluting, dispersing, and degrading large amounts of sewage, sludge, and oil?

A) estuary
B) swiftly flowing stream
C) deep-water ocean
D) coastal parts of the ocean
E) slow-moving river

Question 60

Which of the following developments of cultural eutrophication would occur last?

A) fish kills
B) blooms of algae
C) increase in aerobic bacteria
D) increase of plants such as duckweed
E) increase in anaerobic bacteria

Question 61

The creation of dams and reservoirs has decreased the annual reliable runoff available for human use.

Question 62

Salt from the region of the Aral Sea is being blown onto the alpine glaciers of the Himalayas, and is causing them to melt at faster than normal rates.

Question 63

An oligotrophic lake tends to have relatively high levels of dissolved oxygen.

Question 64

Some water resources are best categorized as nonrenewable.

Question 65

Drinking is the biggest use of water worldwide.

Question 66

We are using freshwater unsustainably by wasting it, polluting it and not charging enough for it.

Question 67

Most aquifers are rapidly recharged through precipitation that percolates downward through soil and rock.

Question 68

Federal subsidies are provided to U.S. farmers who reduce water use in irrigation.

Question 69

Which of the following types of sewage treatment are properly matched?

A) primary--removal of pollutants particular to a given area
B) secondary--removal of oxygen-demanding wastes
C) advanced--removal of suspended solids
D) primary - removal of oxygen-demanding wastes
E) primary and secondary both - removal of pollutants particular to a given area

Question 70

Global reduction of grain-fed beef consumption would help to reduce water shortages.

Question 71

Eutrophication is a condition of natural nutrient enrichment of a shallow lake, estuary or slow-moving stream.

Question 72

A large amount of the world's drinking water comes from desalination.

Question 73

All of the following are true about the discharge trading policy except

A) is sponsored by the EPA
B) uses market forces to reduce water pollution
C) allows polluters to pollute at higher levels than they have permits for under certain circumstances
D) purchasing of unused polluting credits from permit holders who are polluting below their allowed levels
E) polluters who pollute at higher levels than they have permits for are immediately closed down

Question 74

The shift to pollution prevention will most likely be the result of

A) bottom-up political pressure
B) elected officials recognizing the benefits of sustainable living
C) financial benefits of pollution prevention inspiring business leaders
D) community cooperatives promoting the idea
E) top-down politics starting at the White House

Question 75

One potential problem associated with global warming is that rising sea levels will cause salt contamination of coastal area soils.

Question 76

The main sources of lead, mercury and arsenic water pollutants are

A) electric power plants
B) inclined landfills, household chemicals, mining refuse and industrial discharges
C) sewage and inorganic fertilizers
D) runoff from streets and parking lots
E) land erosion from farms that have used chemical insecticides

Question 77

If we protect more wetlands, that will actually increase the threat of flooding.

Question 78

Drip irrigation systems can increase crop yields by 20-90%.

Question 79

Flooding increases with economic and urban development.

Question 80

Which of the following statements about drinking bottled water is NOT true?

A) Americans are the world's largest consumers of bottled water.
B) The movement to boycott bottled water consumption is called back-to-the-tap
C) 86% of the bottles containing bottled water are recycled
D) Some of the bottled water that Americans drink comes from as much as 5,500 miles away.
E) BPA is a chemical in the plastic of water bottles that can leach into the water, especially if the bottle is exposed to the sun.