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

Which of the following can contaminate an aquifer?

landfills
agricultural regions
gas stations
all of these***

Water that is good enough to drink is called ________.

potable water***
groundwater
surface water
artesian water

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

granite
sandstone
shale
limestone***

In what type of rock do most caves form?

granite
shale
limestone***
sandstone

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***

Influent streams are _______

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

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
The boundary between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone is called the _____.
water table***
aquifer
aquilude
porosity

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

Which of the following materials has the lowest porosity?

shale
gravel
granite***
sandstone

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

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

A) About 1%
B) About 5%
C) About 20%***
D) About 50%

What river carries the most water _______?

A) Amazon in South America***

B) Mississippi in US
C) Amazon in Africa
D) Ganges in Asia
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

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

Sinkholes***
artesian wells
cones of depression
speleothems

Karst is a special type of landscape that is formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, including limestone
and dolomite. Karst regions contain aquifers that are capable of providing large supplies of water.

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

Sub-irrigation is used in areas with:

a) Low water table
b) High water table***
c) Sloping terrain
d) Flat terrain

The field water efficiency of trickle irrigation is:

a) 50-55%
b) 55-85%
c) 80-90%***
d) 60-70%

The sources of water for irrigation can be ground water, surface water and non-conventional sources.
The non-conventional sources are treated wastewater, drainage water, fog collection, etc.