Deck 9: Water Resources

Question 1

Which of the following is true of the distribution of land and water on Earth?

A)The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by water.
B)The Northern Hemisphere is dominated by water.
C)They are evenly distributed in both hemispheres.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is best describes aspects of the hydrologic cycle?

A)The greatest amount of precipitation occurs over land.
B)It does not include ice.
C)Most of the water that falls on the continents is derived from the oceans.
D)The greatest amount of evaporation occurs over land.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which is the movement of water into the atmosphere from plants?

A)Precipitation.
B)Evaporation.
C)Transpiration.
D)Sublimation.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Outgassing refers to which of the following?

A)Changes in the total amount of water on Earth through evapotranspiration.
B)A steady-state equilibrium in the water system caused by cycles of evaporation and condensation.
C)The dynamic equilibrium between surface and ocean water.
D)A process where water and water vapour emerge from deep layers within and below Earth's crust.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes eustasy?

A)Changes in the total amount of water on Earth.
B)A steady-state equilibrium in the water system.
C)The amount of new water from outgassing volcanoes.
D)Worldwide changes in sea level.

Question 6

Which of the following is true?

A)Water has been discovered on no other planet.
B)There is no evidence of water ever existing on Mars.
C)Water occurs in significant quantities only on Earth.
D)Ice has not been detected below the surface of our Moon.

Question 7

Which is the net movement of free water molecules away from a wet surface into air that is less than saturated?

A)Precipitation.
B)Evaporation.
C)Deposition.
D)Sublimation.

Question 8

Other than ice sheets and glaciers,in which type of storage is the largest repository of fresh water located?

A)Lakes and saline seas.
B)Groundwater.
C)Soil moisture storage.
D)Rivers and streams.

Question 9

Water covers approximately which percentage of the surface of Earth?

A)50 percent.
B)90 percent.
C)25 percent.
D)71 percent.

Question 10

Earth's oceans possess which of the following?

A)Most of the fresh water on Earth.
B)About the same amount of water as is in the atmosphere.
C)Fifty percent of the water on Earth.
D)Ninety-seven percent of the water on Earth.

Question 11

The largest portion of fresh water today is located where?

A)In clouds.
B)In groundwater resources.
C)In ice caps and glaciers.
D)In the major rivers and lakes of the world.

Question 12

Which of the following is true regarding the amount of water in rivers,streams,and the atmosphere?

A)They contain 0.033 percent of the world's fresh water supply.
B)Combined,they contain the majority of the world's freshwater.
C)The amount of the world's fresh water in rivers and streams is greater than that in the atmosphere.
D)They contain 11.02% of the world's fresh water supplies.

Question 13

Which of the following are glacio-eustatic factors?

A)Changes in the total amount of water on Earth.
B)A steady-state equilibrium in the water system.
C)Changes in sea level related to the increase or decrease in quantities of ice.
D)Changes in sea level related to the melting of icebergs.

Question 14

Which of the following describes about 50 percent of the 125 000 km3 of freshwater in lakes?

A)It is located in just seven lakes.
B)It is located in the 40 largest lakes.
C)It is brackish.
D)It is in the Great Lakes.

Question 15

Approximately how much of Earth's evaporation occurs over oceans?

A)97 percent.
B)86 percent.
C)71 percent.
D)16 percent.

Question 16

Which of the following is true regarding freshwater on Earth?

A)Most of it is in large lakes.
B)Most of it is frozen in glaciers and ice caps.
C)Most of it is in freshwater lakes,rivers,and streams.
D)Most of it is groundwater.

Question 17

Which is transpiration?

A)The movement of free water molecules away from a wet surface.
B)The outward movement of water from plant leaves.
C)An amount of moisture loss from the surface that cannot be measured.
D)The same as evaporation.

Question 18

Which ocean contains the largest volume of water?

A)Atlantic Ocean.
B)Pacific Ocean.
C)Arctic Ocean.
D)Indian Ocean.

Question 19

Much of Earth's water supply originated from which of the following?

A)Asteroids.
B)Icy comets.
C)Gases expelled from the Sun; i.e.,solar wind.
D)Photosynthesis.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the hydrologic cycle?

A)It involves the continuous movement of water in all its states throughout the lower atmosphere,biosphere,lithosphere,and hydrosphere.
B)It is limited to freshwater circulation in the hydrosphere.
C)It refers to the highly localized transfer of water from plants and soils to the atmosphere and back.
D)It is the groundwater component of the global water cycle.

Question 21

Which of the following is true of precipitation in North America?

A)The highest amounts occur in the Southwest and Midwest.
B)The highest amounts occur in the Southeast and extreme South.
C)The lowest amounts are received in the Midwest.
D)The lowest amounts are received near Hudson Bay.

Question 22

In proper order,which of the following lists the two terms for processes as water first enters the soil and then moves downward through the soil?

A)Percolation; infiltration.
B)Infiltration; percolation.
C)Throughfall; percolation.
D)Percolation; throughfall.

Question 23

Which is defined as the portion of streamflow that consists of groundwater?

A)Base flow.
B)Saturated flow.
C)Overland flow.
D)Surface runoff.

Question 24

Approximately which percentage of Earth's precipitation occurs over oceans?

A)8)
B)14.
C)22.
D)78.

Question 25

Which of the following is not used to estimate potential evapotranspiration (PE)using Thornthwaite's method?

A)Average daily temperature.
B)Average day length.
C)Average wind speed.
D)Average monthly temperatures.

Question 26

Which of the following would decrease the rate at which evapotranspiration occurs?

A)Increased temperatures.
B)Increased wind speed.
C)Increased humidity.
D)Increased water availability.

Question 27

Which is defined as intercepted water that drains across plant leaves and down their stems to the ground?

A)Throughfall.
B)Overland flow.
C)Infiltration.
D)Stem flow.

Question 28

Which of the following is true of evapotranspiration in North America?

A)The lowest amounts occur in the Southwest and southern Texas.
B)The lowest amounts occur in northern Canada.
C)The highest amounts are received in the Midwest.
D)The highest amounts are received along the Pacific coast.

Question 29

Approximately which percentage of precipitation over land infiltrates the subsurface,and,of that,which percentage returns to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration?

A)76; 85.
B)35; 97.
C)75; 75.
D)44; 80.

Question 30

Evapotranspiration from the land surface of Earth represents which percentage of water entering the atmosphere?

A)44.
B)86.
C)14.
D)78.

Question 31

Which of the following properly pairs the major receipts and expenditures in the water budget?

A)Insolation; radiative cooling.
B)Outgassing; dissociation.
C)Precipitation; evapotranspiration.
D)Evapotranspiration; precipitation.

Question 32

Which occurs when water soaks through the soil into the subsurface?

A)Throughfall
B)Overland flow
C)Infiltration
D)Stem flow

Question 33

Which of the following is true regarding the hydrologic cycle?

A)The bulk of the precipitation occurs over land.
B)Very little moisture is evaporated from the sea to the land.
C)Twenty-two percent of precipitation on Earth falls over the oceans.
D)Seventy-eight percent of all precipitation falls on the oceans.

Question 34

Which of the following best describes the hydrologic cycle?

A)It defines the volume of water only in the oceans and lakes on Earth.
B)It defines the flow of water between water bodies,but cannot be used to quantify the volume of water in the atmosphere.
C)It only describes how water moves from the frozen state to the liquid state on continents.
D)It is a system that describes and explains all water on Earth.

Question 35

Which is defined as the subsurface area in which all pore spaces are completely fill with water?

A)Zone of saturation.
B)Gravitational zone.
C)Water table.
D)Base flow.

Question 36

Which is potential evapotranspiration?

A)The average amount of evapotranspiration over an area per unit time.
B)The amount of evapotranspiration measured from an evaporation pan.
C)The amount of evapotranspiration that would occur if available water was not limited.
D)A precise measurement of evapotranspiration using a lysimeter.

Question 37

Which occurs when precipitation lands on vegetation or other land cover before reaching the surface?

A)Infiltration.
B)Overland flow.
C)Interception.
D)Surface runoff.

Question 38

Which is defined as the downslope,unchannelized flow of water across the surface?

A)Throughfall.
B)Overland flow.
C)Infiltration.
D)Stem flow.

Question 39

Which is defined as precipitation that falls directly to the ground?

A)Throughfall.
B)Overland flow.
C)Infiltration.
D)Stem flow.

Question 40

If precipitation and soil moisture are inadequate to meet potential evapotranspiration demands,the moisture condition is described as which of the following?

A)Actual evapotranspiration.
B)A surplus.
C)A deficit.
D)Soil moisture utilization.

Question 41

Actual evapotranspiration (AE)is determined by which of the following?

A)Deficit subtracted from Precipitation total.
B)Surplus subtracted from Precipitation total.
C)Surplus subtracted from Potential Evapotranspiration.
D)Deficit subtracted from Potential Evapotranspiration.

Question 42

When does a water surplus occur?

A)It occurs when the potential evapotranspiration demand cannot be satisfied by precipitation inputs.
B)It occurs when the additional inputs of water into a system are not enough to satisfy potential evapotranspiration.
C)It occurs when additional water exists after potential evapotranspiration is satisfied by precipitation inputs.
D)It occurs when potential evapotranspiration is greater than soil moisture.

Question 43

Consider the situation where there are decreases in streamflow,lowering of reservoir levels,and declines in snowpacks.This is which type of drought?

A)Meteorological drought.
B)Agricultural drought.
C)Hydrological drought
D)Socioeconomic drought.

Question 44

The difference between the wilting point and field capacity is approximately equal to which of the following?

A)Wilting point water.
B)Gravitational water.
C)Available water.
D)Hygroscopic water.

Question 45

Which of the following states how the amount of water associated with the wilting point in clay compares to that for sand and silt?

A)Greater than.
B)Less than.
C)Approximately the same.

Question 46

Which type of water is defined as soil moisture tightly bound to each soil particle and unavailable for plant use?

A)Capillary.
B)Gravitational.
C)Available.
D)Hygroscopic.

Question 47

Actual evapotranspiration (AE)is determined by which of the following?

A)Precipitation - deficit.
B)Precipitation - surplus.
C)Actual evapotranspiration - surplus.
D)Potential evapotranspiration - deficit.

Question 48

Of the following,which soil type has the highest field capacity?

A)Loam.
B)Clay loam.
C)Silt loam.
D)Sandy loam.

Question 49

A drought defined by the degree of dryness as compared to a regional average and the duration of dryness is which of the following?

A)Meteorological drought.
B)Agricultural drought.
C)Hydrological drought
D)Socioeconomic drought.

Question 50

Which of the following is true when the soil is at field capacity?

A)A surplus definitely exists.
B)No gravity drainage has occurred.
C)The soil is holding the maximum amount of water that it can hold against the pull of gravity.
D)The capillary force is not acting.

Question 51

Which is defined as soil moisture that plants are capable of accessing and using?

A)Wilting point water.
B)Free molecular water.
C)Capillary water.
D)Hygroscopic water.

Question 52

Which of the following is normally true of a hot desert?

A)Potential evapotranspiration exceeds actual evapotranspiration.
B)Actual evapotranspiration exceeds potential evapotranspiration.
C)Potential evapotranspiration equals actual evapotranspiration.
D)It is impossible to say what the normal relationship between potential and actual evapotranspiration would be in a desert.

Question 53

Vancouver,BC has the highest amount of precipitation during which season?

A)Spring.
B)Summer.
C)Autumn.
D)Winter.

Question 54

Potential evapotranspiration for Phoenix,Arizona is highest during which month?

A)March.
B)February.
C)September.
D)July.

Question 55

Actual evapotranspiration for Phoenix,Arizona is highest during which month?

A)March.
B)February.
C)September.
D)July.

Question 56

Which of the following types of water is accessible to plants?

A)Hygroscopic.
B)Capillary.
C)Deficit water.
D)Transpired water.

Question 57

Which is the type of drought based on the supply and demand of water resources?

A)Meteorological drought.
B)Agricultural drought.
C)Hydrological drought
D)Socioeconomic drought.

Question 58

A drought defined by the shortage of precipitation and soil moisture effects on crop yield is which of the following?

A)Meteorological drought.
B)Agricultural drought.
C)Hydrological drought
D)Socioeconomic drought.

Question 59

The texture and structure of the soil dictate which of the following?

A)Soil moisture deficit.
B)Soil moisture utilization.
C)Throughflow.
D)Field capacity.

Question 60

The water balance for Hamilton,Ontario exhibits which of the following?

A)A net water surplus (S)during each month of the year.
B)Net demands for water for 10 months of the year.
C)Water deficits in the summer months.
D)Water deficits each month of the year.

Question 61

Which is a water bearing rock stratum?

A)Water table.
B)Aquiclude.
C)Zone of aeration.
D)Aquifer.

Question 62

Which of the following would make the best aquifer?

A)Uncememted,loosely compacted clay.
B)Cemented,highly compacted sand.
C)Uncemented,loosely compacted sand.
D)Cemented gravel that was loosely compacted when cemented.

Question 63

Drawdown refers to which of the following?

A)The potentiometric surface of an aquifer.
B)Effluent conditions where groundwater feed streamflow.
C)The aquifer recharge area.
D)The lowering of an aquifer from overuse

Question 64

Which is the California Water Project?

A)It is a proposed dam of the Colorado River between the Parker and Palo Verde Dam.
B)It is a multi-year plan designed to harvest rainwater for agricultural purposes.
C)It is a water conveyance system to distribute water resources throughout the state.
D)It is an ambition goal to build a hydroelectric power station larger than China's Three Gorges.

Question 65

Approximately what percentage of the world's irrigation water is from groundwater?

A)15 percent.
B)25 percent.
C)50 percent.
D)80 percent.

Question 66

Which of the following is an intended benefit of China's Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River?

A)Relocation of people.
B)Landslides.
C)Water pollution.
D)Flood control.

Question 67

Which of the following is an example of a potential sub-surface water resource?

A)Artificial lakes.
B)Aquifers.
C)Glaciers.
D)Rivers.

Question 68

Which is the largest fresh water lake in the world by volume?

A)Lake Superior.
B)Lake Baikal.
C)Lake Tanganyika.
D)Lake Michigan.

Question 69

Which of the following is a wetland that contains salt water?

A)Tidal marsh.
B)Bog.
C)Peatland.
D)Swamp.

Question 70

Which is the utilization of aquifers beyond their flow and recharge capacities?

A)The potentiometric surface.
B)Influent conditions.
C)Groundwater mining.
D)The contact surface.

Question 71

Under which conditions do productive aquifers exist?

A)Low porosity.
B)Low permeability.
C)Sand,gravel and rock with little cementing agent.
D)An abundance of clay arranged in tightly packed,horizontal layers.

Question 72

Which best describes the water in wetlands?

A)It is always freshwater.
B)It is always saltwater.
C)It is either freshwater or saltwater.
D)It is too polluted to use as a water resource.

Question 73

Which of the following accurately describes annual groundwater withdrawal in Canada and the United States?

A)Withdrawals increased 150 percent between 1950 and 2000.
B)The percentage of withdrawals in Canada and the United States are about the same.
C)Groundwater pumping is presently not exceeding water recharge rates.
D)The amount withdrawn is equal to river discharges in the United States.

Question 74

Which is the largest reservoir in the world by volume?

A)Lake Nasser.
B)Lake Kariba.
C)Lake Votka.
D)Lake Guri.

Question 75

If one were to map a vertical profile of groundwater resources,which of the following is correct order from top to bottom?

A)Zone of aeration-water table-zone of saturation-impermeable rock.
B)Water table-zone of aeration-zone of saturation-impermeable rock.
C)Zone of aeration-zone of saturation-water table-impermeable rock.
D)Zone of saturation-water table-zone of aeration-impermeable rock.

Question 76

Which of the following is the main source of groundwater?

A)Hygroscopic water in the soil.
B)Surface water where it intersects the zone of recharge.
C)Precipitation that percolates downward as gravitational water.
D)The zone of aeration above the water table.

Question 77

Which condition may exist when the potentiometric surface is above ground level?

A)Artesian water may rise to the surface.
B)Drawdown in the well.
C)Groundwater recharge of the aquifer.
D)A confined aquifer may become an unconfined aquifer.

Question 78

Which of the following is 'groundwater mining'?

A)The removal of overlying rock to reach the groundwater table.
B)The excavation of tunnels to reach ground water.
C)The use of ground water to mine minerals.
D)The removal of ground water at a faster rate than it can be replaced.

Question 79

Hydroelectricity currently provides the world with approximately how much of the world's power?

A)1/2.
B)2/3.
C)1/4.
D)1/5.

Question 80

Which of the following is defined as the line of contact between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation?

A)Water table.
B)Saturation contact.
C)Influent line.
D)Aquiclude.