Ground Water Quiz

Why is permeable soil best for plants that need a lot of drainage?

• Water fills this type of soil.

• Water dries up in this type of soil.

• Water flows through this type of soil.

• Water pools on top of this type of soil.

What most likely happens if water flows through a permeable soil layer and reaches a clay layer?

• It dries up.

• It soaks in.

• It pools on top of the clay layer.

• It flows down through the clay layer.

This image shows layers underground.

Which layer will become saturated first when rain falls?

• clay

• granite

• rocks

• soil

A city worker is trying to dig to reach the water table. She knows the unsaturated zone in the area is four feet thick and the saturated zone is another five feet thick before an impermeable granite layer is reached.

How deep will she have to dig to reach the water table?

• two feet

• four feet

• five feet

• nine feet

A scientist observes a natural flow of water coming out of a hillside. The hillside is lower than the water table.

What feature is the scientist most likely observing?

• spring

• aquifer

• artesian well

• unsaturated zone

The image shows a cross-section of a landscape.

Which could be the location where water emerges from the surface as a spring?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

A farmer dug a well but did not find any water.

Which most likely explains why the farmer did not find water?

• The water table is deeper than the well.

• All the groundwater is flowing out of a spring.

• The well is being dug between two vertical, impermeable layers.

• The well is located where groundwater is stuck between impermeable layers.

Which correctly lists the three layers in which water moves easily?

• rock, clay, granite

• soil, rock, organic layer

• clay, organic layer, granite

• granite, rock, soil

A scientist observes hot water erupting from a vent in the Earth.

What most likely caused the water to rise and erupt from the vent?

• The vent was lower than the water table.

• A well was drilled into a pressurized aquifer.

• A well with a mechanical pump was installed

• The water was heated by magma or hot rocks.

A water feature that could be a source of groundwater for humans is found at a location on a hillside where Earth’s surface is lower than the water table.

What type of feature might be observed at this location?

• spring

• aquifer

• artesian well

• unsaturated zone