Earth/Space Test 10

Which of the following statements is true about groundwater?

• Groundwater is the largest liquid freshwater source on Earth.

• Groundwater is the largest freshwater source on Earth.

• Groundwater is the largest water source on Earth.

• Groundwater is part of the rock cycle.

Underground, the area above the water table where the soil, sediment, and rock are not saturated with water and the pore spaces are filled with air is called:

• the zone of aeration.

• the zone of saturation.

• the abyssal zone.

• the eternal void.

What does the quantity of groundwater that can be stored in a given area depend upon?

• It depends upon the porosity of the material in the area.

• It depends upon the elevation above sea level of the area.

• It depends upon the human population in the area.

• It depends upon the area's latitude north or south of the Equator.

Impermeable layers of underground material that hinder or prevent water movement are called:

• aquitards.

• aquifers.

• drainage basins.

• flood plains.

What does this map illustrate?

• the major aquifers of Texas

• the mountains and valleys of Texas

• annual rainfall totals in Texas

• the major crops of Texas

Groundwater is a form of _________________ that sustains streams during periods when rain does not fall.

• storage

• disposal

• floodgate

• evaporation

What is the source of direct heat for hot springs?

• underground magma chambers

• solar radiation

• equatorial ocean surface waters

• hurricanes

The most common method for removing groundwater is:

• digging a well.

• drilling for oil.

• damming a river.

• draining a lake.

Which of the following is the best definition of the term "artesian well"?

• Any situation in which groundwater in a well rises higher than the initial groundwater level.

• The change in water level per unit of distance along the direction of maximum head decrease.

• The water stored in the soil and is affected by precipitation, temperature, and soil characteristics.

• The process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc. so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.

Which of the following are environmental problems associated with groundwater? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY!

• possible contamination of groundwater through use of pesticides on crop fields

• possible contamination of groundwater through improper functioning of septic tanks

• possible contamination of groundwater through improper disposal of industrial waste

• possible contamination of groundwater through ocean acidification and coral bleaching