Q&A Hero

Q: In general, sinkholes are found in areas A) dominated by limestone. B) in which groundwater is being pumped out of the ground too quickly. C) where the dominant rock is shale. D) with extensive irrigation systems.

Q: Caves and caverns are formed in carbonate rock by A) abrasive action of swift flowing groundwater. B) reaction of carbonic acid released into the groundwater. C) stalactites and stalagmites. D) all of these

Q: A rock that is readily attacked by chemical weathering is A) limestone. B) granite. C) basalt. D) gneiss.

Q: The formations of rock hanging from the roofs of caves are called A) moraines. B) stalactites. C) stalagmites. D) dikes.

Q: Over withdrawal of groundwater causes ground subsidence in areas A) of karst topography. B) underlain by unconsolidated sediments. C) underlain by consolidated sediments. D) all of these

Q: Cave formation in limestone does not involve A) mildly acidic groundwater. B) dissolution of carbonate rocks. C) land subsidence. D) a dropping water table.

Q: Karst topography is dominated by A) rivers and lakes. B) sinkholes, caves, and caverns. C) rugged hills and valleys. D) glaciers.

Q: Underground rivers can exist in A) limestone aquifers. B) science fiction. C) all aquifers. D) any of the above.

Q: Land subsidence is caused by A) groundwater pumping. B) clay layers that shrink. C) gophers. D) over-pumping of groundwater and the compaction of clay layers.

Q: If a water well is actively pumped, the water table will A) be raised around the well. B) stay at the same level as before pumping. C) be depressed around the well. D) be recharged.

Q: When a well is drilled into an aquifer, why does water flow out of the well spontaneously?

Q: An aquifer is a reservoir of water beneath the ground surface. Describe five physical zones in an aquifer. (Hint: Consider in-flow and out-flow.)

Q: Why does a clay rock body generally have a medium-to-high porosity but a poor hydraulic conductivity?

Q: Why does quartz sandstone have a high porosity and a high permeability?

Q: What three factors affect permeability?

Q: What three factors affect porosity?

Q: In a prolonged drought, groundwater is A) unaffectedthere is always water flowing underground. B) in danger of being diminished. C) safe from processes at the surface. D) completely gone.

Q: Water that does not infiltrate into the ground or evaporate becomes A) groundwater. B) runoff. C) soil moisture. D) hydrologic cycle.

Q: When a perched water table intersects the surface on a hillside, the result is A) an artesian well. B) a spring. C) a lake. D) a cone of depression.

Q: The water table is found at the top of the A) contact between an aquifer and an underlying, impermeable rock. B) zone of aeration. C) zone of saturation. D) permeability zone.

Q: The flow of groundwater is dependent on A) topography of the ground surface. B) gravity only. C) pressure only. D) hydraulic conductivity and pressure.

Q: The necessary condition to produce an artesian system is A) an unconfined aquifer that intersects the land surface. B) a confined aquifer under sufficient pressure. C) a confined aquifer that intersects the water table. D) any of these

Q: The greater the hydraulic gradient the A) slower the flow. B) faster the flow. C) greater the porosity. D) less the permeability.

Q: The flow of groundwater depends on A) porosity only. B) permeability only. C) porosity and permeability. D) hydraulic gradient, and hydraulic conductivity.

Q: The region above the zone of saturation is called the A) water table. B) zone of aeration. C) aquifer zone. D) none of the above.

Q: When subsurface ground material is completely saturated with water, we call it A) the water table. B) groundwater. C) the saturated zone. D) the unsaturated zone.

Q: A rock's permeability can be described by its A) density. B) depth of burial. C) water-holding capacity. D) water-transmitting capability, or hydraulic conductivity.

Q: A rock with a high porosity will most likely have a A) low permeability. B) high permeability. C) large proportion of open pore spaces. D) low density.

Q: A soil composed of flattened soil particles will most likely have a A) high porosity. B) low porosity. C) high permeability. D) low hydraulic conductivity.

Q: A soil composed of well-rounded sand grains of uniform size will most likely have a A) high porosity. B) low porosity. C) high permeability. D) low permeability.

Q: Water able to be contained in the subsurface depends on A) permeability. B) porosity. C) chemical composition. D) none of these

Q: The poorest absorber of water is A) sand and gravel. B) clay. C) rocky surfaces covered by a soil layer. D) rocky surfaces with no soil layer.

Q: A rock with very low porosity will most often have a A) low permeability. B) high permeability. C) large proportion of open spaces. D) very high density.

Q: The capacity a material has for transmitting fluids is known as its A) porosity. B) permeability. C) competence. D) impermeability.

Q: The flow of groundwater depends on A) permeability and porosity. B) permeability and gravity. C) porosity and hydraulic gradient. D) porosity only.

Q: The degree to which a soil or rock allows groundwater to flow is called A) permeability. B) aquifer. C) porosity. D) hydraulic gradient.

Q: Where groundwater discharges to a stream, the elevation of the water table next to the stream A) is lower than the surface of the stream. B) is the same as the surface of the stream. C) is higher than the surface of the stream. D) Not enough information given

Q: Groundwater is water A) beneath the ground surface. B) above the water table. C) that soaks into the ground. D) below the water table.

Q: A sub-surface region that holds and transmits water is called a/an A) aquifer. B) hydrometer. C) water table. D) aquiclude.

Q: The flow of groundwater is A) as fast as the water in streams. B) from where the water table is high to where it is low. C) from where the water table is low to where it is high. D) insignificant.

Q: Where groundwater discharges to a swamp, the elevation of the water table next to the swamp is A) lower than the surface of the swamp. B) at the same elevation as the surface of the swamp. C) slightly higher than the surface of the swamp. D) Not enough information is given.

Q: As a large reservoir behind a new dam fills with water, the water table in the vicinity of the reservoir A) rises. B) falls. C) stays the same. D) becomes unsaturated.

Q: The dominant influence on the length of time a well will produce water is A) hydraulic conductivity. B) water supply and demand. C) hydraulic gradient. D) aquifer porosity.

Q: Water in the unsaturated zone is called A) groundwater. B) unsaturated water. C) pore-water. D) soil-moisture.

Q: In a well in an unconfined aquifer, the highest level that water can rise to is A) the level of the water table. B) just below the level of the water table. C) to the top of the well. D) dependent on how deep the well is.

Q: The infiltration of water is greatest in A) calcite-cemented sandstone. B) sandy soil. C) clay soil. D) silica-cemented sandstone.

Q: Water in a confined aquifer is A) freely flowing. B) under pressure. C) recharge. D) discharge.

Q: Sandy soils tend to have A) high porosity and high permeability. B) high porosity and low permeability. C) low porosity and low permeability. D) low porosity and high permeability.

Q: What is the largest repository of fresh water?

Q: Identify the locations of Earth's water, both oceanic and fresh.

Q: All watergroundwater, surface water, and frozen waterflows downslope in response to A) pressure. B) hydraulic gradient. C) permeability. D) gravity.

Q: The natural circulation of waterfrom ocean to air to ground to ocean and then back to the atmosphereis called the A) circle of life. B) hydrologic cycle. C) carbon cycle. D) rock cycle.

Q: Rain or snow that falls on the continents is Earth's only A) supply of water. B) supply of fresh water. C) hydrologic cycle. D) source of evaporation and condensation.

Q: Most of Earth's accessible fresh water is located in A) polar ice caps and glaciers. B) groundwater. C) rivers, lakes, and streams. D) the atmosphere.

Q: Most of the world's water is in A) icecaps. B) glaciers. C) rivers and lakes. D) the oceans.

Q: Where does most rainfall on Earth finally end up before becoming rain again? A) underground B) in lakes C) in the oceans D) on the ground surface

Q: Evaporation from the oceans produces clouds that precipitate fresh water rather than saltwater because A) salt is too heavy to evaporate. B) evaporation produces nearly pure water vapor. C) dissolved salt prevents evaporation. D) saltwater precipitates over oceans only.

Q: Which has the longest residence time? A) groundwater B) rivers, lakes, and streams C) polar ice caps and glaciers D) rainwater

Q: Most of Earth's fresh water is located in A) polar ice caps and glaciers. B) groundwater. C) rivers, lakes, and streams. D) the atmosphere.

Q: Precipitation exceeds evaporation over the A) continents. B) polar ice caps. C) oceans. D) equator.

Q: Evaporation and precipitation are in balance over the A) polar ice caps. B) continents. C) oceans. D) equator.

Q: Evaporation and precipitation are greatest over the A) polar ice caps. B) continents. C) oceans. D) equator.

Q: Water precipitated over land completes its cycle as it A) enters streams and lakes and makes its way to the oceans. B) percolates into the ground. C) evaporates from the surface to the atmosphere. D) enters streams and lakes, seeps into the ground, flows to the ocean, or evaporates.

Q: The driving force of our planet's hydrologic cycle comes from A) the balance between precipitation and evaporation. B) precipitation of water over the oceans. C) solar energy. D) wind.

Q: Water is vital to life on our planet. Most of Earth's water supply is in the A) oceans. B) ice caps. C) rivers, lakes, and streams. D) ground.

Q: Are sand dunes stationary or do they move and migrate?

Q: How are sand dunes formed?

Q: Blowing sand in a sand dune, settles A) on the windward slope of the dune. B) on the leeward slope of the dune. C) on surrounding mounds of vegetation. D) in the wind shadow of the leeward slope.

Q: Heavy rains in a desert environment can result in A) flash floods. B) cross-bedding. C) intensified dune migration. D) floodplains.

Q: Sand dunes form as wind A) disperses sand. B) blows sand from the back to the front of the dune. C) blows sand from the front to the back of the dune. D) interrupts the normal sequence of deposition.

Q: The main difference between sand dunes and ripple marks is A) ripple marks are only caused by water. B) ripple marks are larger than sand dunes. C) sand dunes are larger than ripple marks. D) ripple marks are stationary.

Q: Of the three agents of erosionwater, wind and icethe one with the ability to move only the smallest particles is A) ice. B) water. C) turbulent water. D) wind.

Q: The most important agent of erosion is A) water. B) glaciation. C) wind. D) wave action.

Q: The principal cause of erosion and transportation of sediment in a desert environment is A) wind. B) caravans. C) ice. D) water.

Q: Sand dunes form A) where air flows freely over sand. B) from wind that is increasing in speed. C) as wind moves sand from the back to the front of the dune. D) as wind stops blowing.

Q: What is the difference between a roche moutonnee and a drumlin?

Q: How do glaciers affect underlying rock?

Q: Why are glacial striations so important?

Q: Which of the following is not a characteristic of continental glaciation? A) striations B) U-shaped valleys C) drumlins D) moraines

Q: The direction of ice flow can be determined by A) striations, roches moutonnes, and drumlins. B) striations, roches moutonnes, and drumsticks. C) moraines, drift, and till. D) sled tracks, igloos, and drumsticks.