Water Distribution and Scarcity

Of all the freshwater on the Earth, approximately ________________ is trapped as ice. A. 10% B. 80% C. 50% D. 8% E. 60%

• 10%

• 80%

• 50%

• 8%

• 60%

Refer to Infographic 14.1. Which of the following contains the most surface freshwater? A. groundwater B. glaciers and ice caps C. soil moisture D. rivers E. lakes

• groundwater

• glaciers and ice caps

• soil moisture

• rivers

• lakes

Out of all of the water on Earth, how much is usable by humans? A. 50% B. 10% C. 5% D. 1% E. less than 1%

• 50%

• 10%

• 5%

• 1%

• less than 1%

The action by which plant roots pull water from the soil and then release some of it into the atmosphere is known as _______________. A. evaporation B. transpiration C. evapotranspiration D. infiltration E. condensation

• evaporation

• transpiration

• evapotranspiration

• infiltration

• condensation

The largest potential source of freshwater is found in ________________. A. groundwater B. lakes C. oceans D. polar ice caps and glaciers E. rivers

• groundwater

• lakes

• oceans

• polar ice caps and glaciers

• rivers

Water that has a low level of dissolved ions in it can be found in ____________. A. glaciers B. streams C. lakes D. groundwater E. all of these answers

• glaciers

• streams

• lakes

• groundwater

• all of these answers

Which of the following contribute to the formation of precipitation? A. cold air in the upper atmosphere B. solar energy C. the movement of groundwater D. evaporation E. all of these answers

• cold air in the upper atmosphere

• solar energy

• the movement of groundwater

• evaporation

• all of these answers

Which of the following lists the path of water correctly? A. surface -> soil -> water table -> aquifer B. surface -> saturated zone -> soil -> aquifer -> water table C. surface -> water table -> soil D. lake -> soil -> aquifer -> water table E. infiltration -> soil -> aquifer -> water table

• surface -> soil -> water table -> aquifer

• surface -> saturated zone -> soil -> aquifer -> water table

• surface -> water table -> soil

• lake -> soil -> aquifer -> water table

• infiltration -> soil -> aquifer -> water table

Which practice requires the greatest amount of water input? A. flushing the toilet B. taking a shower C. making a cotton T-shirt D. washing dishes E. producing 1 pound of beef

• flushing the toilet

• taking a shower

• making a cotton T-shirt

• washing dishes

• producing 1 pound of beef

Desalination, the process that removes ________________ from water, is _______________. A. bacteria; cheap B. salt and other minerals; expensive C. pollution; a biomimicry process D. sewage; mandated by the federal government E. organic matter; facilitated by reverse osmosis

• bacteria; cheap

• salt and other minerals; expensive

• pollution; a biomimicry process

• sewage; mandated by the federal government

• organic matter; facilitated by reverse osmosis