Which of the following reservoirs contains the most water?

atmosphere
biosphere
groundwater
lakes and rivers


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

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


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

transpiration
inflitration
precipation
sublimation


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


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

permeability
recharge
aquifer
porosity


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


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


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

porosity
aquifer characteristics
chemical cement
permeability


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


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

stranded
perched
displaced
depressed


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


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

water table
aquifer
aquiclude
porosity


The infiltration of water into the subsurface is the __________ .

influent
effluent
discharge
recharge


What is the term for a relatively impermeable geologic unit?

an artesian
an aquiclude
an aquifer
none of these


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


The most abundant, natural acid is:

nitric
hyrdochloric
carbonic
citric


Most groundwater withdrawn in the United States is used for ________ .

industry
irrigation
drinking water
swimming pools


In what types of rock do most caves form?

granite
shale
limestone
sandstone


Stalactites and stalagmites in caves are composed of ________ .

quartz
alkali feldspar
halite
calcite


Hard water contains large amounts of __________ .

lead
sodium
calcium
silicon


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

meteoric water
magmatic water
seawater
metamorphic water


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


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

sinkholes
artesian wells
cones of depression
speleothems


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


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

sinkholes
artesian wells
cones of depression
speleothems




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


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

an alluvial fan
a delta
a submarine fan
point bars


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

agriculture
domestic irrigation - lawns
industry
municipal drinking water


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

northeast US
southeast US
southwest US
central US


The average annual rainfall in Houston, Texas is _______?

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


What river carries the most water _______?

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


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

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


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


Which of the following materials has the lowest porosity?

shale
gravel
granite
sandstone


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


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

water table
aquifer
aquilude
porosity




In the diagram above region A is the _______ .

discharge zone
recharge zone
saturated zone
unsaturated zone


In the diagram above region B is the _______ .

discharge zone
recharge zone
saturated zone
unsaturated zone


Influent streams are _______

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


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


In what type of rock do most caves form?

granite
shale
limestone
sandstone


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

granite
sandstone
shale
limestone


Water that is good enough to drink is called ________.

potable water
groundwater
surface water
artesian water


Which of the following can contaminate an aquifer?

landfills
agricultural regions
gas stations
all of these

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