Freshwater Use F21

Which result is most likely to occur after excessive withdrawal of groundwater in coastal areas?

• increased reliance on irrigation because of drier soil conditions

• dilution of brackish water in estuarine ecosystems

• reduced efficiency of local desalination facilities

• intrusion of salt water into the water table

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

A large company constructs a deep well to obtain water for industrial use. The location of the well is shown in the figure below.

What is one benefit to the company of placing the well where they did instead of making the well shallower?

• Drought should have less of an effect on the amount of water produced by the well.

• Confining beds will prevent more water from entering the aquifer near the well.

• Water in the aquifer where the well is located will recharge more quickly.

• A deeper well will be much less expensive to drill than a shallower well.

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Saltwater intrusion can occur in aquifers near coastlines, when fresh groundwater in the aquifer is displaced by salt water. Coastline aquifers become more vulnerable to saltwater intrusion when freshwater recharge rates are low or withdrawal rates are high. An aquifer in which of the following areas would be MOST affected by saltwater intrusion?

• a small coastal town experiencing a rainy summer

• a coastal agricultural area using periodic irrigation

• a large inland region of growing cities and farms

• a growing coastal city undergoing a drought

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Over-using an aquifer can lead to subsidence. Which other hazard would MOST likely be exacerbated by this subsidence?

• climate change

• earthquake

• drought

• flooding

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A community decides to upgrade its water purification and management systems. What lasting impact could this have on available freshwater?

• It could cause a decrease in water demand.

• It could cause a decrease in the water levels.

• It could cause an increase in waterborne diseases.

• It could cause an increase in the freshwater supply.

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Which is the most common contamination source for freshwater resources?

• runoff

• digging wells

• melting of glaciers

• lightning

The REUWS study examined residential water use in North America in 1999. This study measured gallons of water used per household per day (gphd) in twelve cities. Researchers repeated the study in certain cities in 2012. The graph compares the results of the first study to results from households in Tacoma, Washington, more than a decade later.

Assume that behaviors surrounding water use have not changed significantly since the last study. Under this assumption, which of the following manufacturers could claim to have achieved the greatest success in the development and marketing of water conservation technology?

• toilet manufacturers

• clothes washer manufacturers

• shower head manufacturers

• dishwasher manufacturers

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NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

A farmer in California’s Central Valley is evaluating irrigation systems for lettuce fields. The farmer is most interested in installing a system that will deliver the most amount of water to crops with the least amount of water loss to the rest of the environment. Which of these systems should the farmer choose?

• a flooding system that fills entire crop fields with water

• a canal and ditch system that can deliver water to specific crop areas

• a drip system that uses tubing to inject water into the soil next to crops

• a spray system that launches water through the air over many acres of crops

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2