Weathering

Multiple Choice Questions for Groundwater - Chapter 11

Each chapter will include a few questions designed to test your knowledge of material covered in the chapter and in the Internet-based resources. Your answers are not being recorded. Try the following.

  1. Which of the following reservoirs contains the most water?

    atmosphere
    biosphere
    groundwater
    lakes and rivers

  2. How much of the Earth's water is stored in underground aquifers?

    less than 1%
    about 5%
    about 10%
    about 20%

  3. What is the process by which water enters the small pore spaces between particles in soil or rocks

    transpiration
    inflitration
    precipation
    sublimation

  4. Which of the following terms is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air as a proportion of the maximum amount the air could hold at the same temperature?

    dew point
    sublimation point
    evaporation rate
    relative humidity

  5. The percentage of a rock's total volume that is taken up by pore space is called the _______ .

    permeability
    recharge
    aquifer
    porosity

  6. Permeability is __________ .

    the ability of a solid to allow fluids to pass through
    the process by which plants release water vapor to the atmosphere
    the amount of water vapor in the air relative to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold.
    the percentage of pore space in the rock

  7. The best groundwater reservoirs have __________ .?

    low permeability and low porosity
    low permeability and high porosity
    high permeability and low porosity
    high permeability and high porosity

  8. The ability of an Earth material to transmit water is a measure of its:

    porosity
    aquifer characteristics
    chemical cement
    permeability

  9. The lowering effect on the water table about the base of the well stem is called a(n):

    aquiclude
    artesian surface
    cone of depression
    speleothem

  10. A local water table positioned above the regional water table is said to be:

    stranded
    perched
    displaced
    depressed

  11. Which of the following statements about the water table is false:

    the water table changes when discharge is not balanced by recharge
    the water table is generally flat
    the water table is above the land surface in lakes
    the water table is depressed near high volume pumping wells

  12. The boundary between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone is called the______ .

    water table
    aquifer
    aquiclude
    porosity

  13. The infiltration of water into the subsurface is the __________ .

    influent
    effluent
    discharge
    recharge

  14. What is the term for a relatively impermeable geologic unit?

    an artesian
    an aquiclude
    an aquifer
    none of these

  15. Excessive pumping in relation to recharge can cause ________ .

    the water table to decline
    a cone of depression to form
    the well to go dry
    all of these

  16. The most abundant, natural acid is:

    nitric
    hyrdochloric
    carbonic
    citric

  17. Most groundwater withdrawn in the United States is used for ________ .

    industry
    irrigation
    drinking water
    swimming pools

  18. In what types of rock do most caves form?

    granite
    shale
    limestone
    sandstone

  19. Stalactites and stalagmites in caves are composed of ________ .

    quartz
    alkali feldspar
    halite
    calcite

  20. Hard water contains large amounts of __________ .

    lead
    sodium
    calcium
    silicon

  21. Most of the water coming out of continental hot springs is ________ .

    meteoric water
    magmatic water
    seawater
    metamorphic water

  22. With respect to the Earth's land surface, which of the following expressions is correct?

    precipitation = evaporation - runoff
    precipitation = runoff - evaporation
    precipitation = evaporation + runoff
    precipitation = evaporation * runoff

  23. Which one of the following features is a sure sign of karst?

    sinkholes
    artesian wells
    cones of depression
    speleothems

  24. Which of the following statements is true?

    cool air can hold more water vapor than warm air
    warm air can hold more water than cool air
    cool air and warm air always hold the same amount of water vapor
    air cannot contain water vapor

  25. Which one of the following features is a sure sign of karst?

    sinkholes
    artesian wells
    cones of depression
    speleothems

  26. The diagram above represents a cross section through a coastal mountain range. Which of the following statements is correct?

    Region A would receive the most precipitation
    Region B would receive the most precipitation
    Regions C would receive the most precipitation
    Regions A, B, and C would receive about the same amount of precipitation

  27. What feature might you expect to see developed in region C?

    an alluvial fan
    a delta
    a submarine fan
    point bars

  28. California imports most of its water supply. What is most of the water used for?

    agriculture
    domestic irrigation - lawns
    industry
    municipal drinking water

  29. Which of the following regions has the highest average annual rainfall?

    northeast US
    southeast US
    southwest US
    central US

  30. The average annual rainfall in Houston, Texas is _______?

    10-20 inches US
    20-30 inches
    30-40 inches
    greater than 40 inches

  31. What river carries the most water _______?

    Amazon in South America
    Mississippi in US
    Amazon in Africa
    Ganges in Asia

  32. Groundwater represents how much of the world's fresh water supply?

    about 1%
    about 5%
    about 20%
    about 50%

  33. Which of the following rocks has the highest permeability?

    an unfractured shale
    a cemented sandstones
    an uncemented sandstone
    all of these rocks have approximately the same permeability

  34. Which of the following materials has the lowest porosity?

    shale
    gravel
    granite
    sandstone

  35. What is the difference between the saturated and the unsaturated zones of ground water?

    the saturated zone has a higher porosity than the unsaturated zone
    the saturated zone has a lower porosity than the unsaturated zone
    the pore spaces in the saturated zone are completely full of water; the pore spaces in the unsaturated zone are not completely full of water.
    the pore spaces in the saturated zone are not completely full of water; the pore spaces in the unsaturated zone are completely full of water

  36. The boundary between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone is called the _____.

    water table
    aquifer
    aquilude
    porosity

  37. In the diagram above region A is the _______ .

    discharge zone
    recharge zone
    saturated zone
    unsaturated zone

  38. In the diagram above region B is the _______ .

    discharge zone
    recharge zone
    saturated zone
    unsaturated zone

  39. Influent streams are _______

    more common in arid regions
    more common in humid regions
    only found in areas of permafrost
    sinkhole

  40. Excessive pumping in relation to recharge can cause_______

    the water table to decline
    a cone of depression
    the well to go dry
    all of these

  41. In what type of rock do most caves form?

    granite
    shale
    limestone
    sandstone

  42. Sinkholes are a possible danger in regions underlain by what type of bedrock?

    granite
    sandstone
    shale
    limestone

  43. Water that is good enough to drink is called ________.

    potable water
    groundwater
    surface water
    artesian water

  44. Which of the following can contaminate an aquifer?

    landfills
    agricultural regions
    gas stations
    all of these

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