Groundwater and Running Water

Which conditions on Earth's surface will allow for the greatest amount of water to seep into the ground?

• gentle slope and permeable

• gentle slope and impermeable

• steep slope and permeable

• steep slope and impermeable

Which processes are most likely to cause a rise in the water table?

• runoff and erosion

• precipitation and infiltration

• deposition and burial

• solidification and condensation

During a rainstorm, when soil becomes saturated, the amount of infiltration

• decreases and runoff decreases

• decreases and runoff increases

• increases and runoff decreases

• increases and runoff increases

Compared to an area of Earth's surface with gentle slopes, an area with steeper slopes most likely has

• less infiltration and more runoff

• less infiltration and less runoff

• more infiltration and more runoff

• more infiltration and less runoff

The diagrams below represent four permeable sediment samples. The sediments are composed of the same material, but differ in particle size and sorting. Which sediment sample will most likely have the fastest groundwater infiltration rate?

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In general, the probability of flooding decreases when there is an increase in the amount of

• precipitation

• infiltration

• runoff

• snow melt

Rainfall is most likely to infiltrate into soil that is

• permeable and saturated

• permeable and unsaturated

• impermeable and saturated

• impermeable and unsaturated

Sand sediments are usually more permeable than silt sediments because sand grains are

• larger

• smoother

• rounder

• more soluble

If a rock is compressed and its volume decreases, how will the rock's density and porosity be affected?

• Density and porosity will both decrease.

• Density and porosity will both increase.

• Density will decrease and porosity will increase.

• Density will increase and porosity will decrease.

A rock with a high porosity will probably

• be resistant to weathering

• be composed of large grains

• have a large percentage of space between particles

• have a small percentage of rounded particles