Groundwater

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Base your answer on the diagram below, which shows a model of the water cycle. Letters A through F represent some processes of the water cycle. Letter X indicates the top of the underground zone that is saturated with water.

If the surface soil is saturated and precipitation increases, there will be

• a decrease in the amount of groundwater

  
  

• a decrease in the surface elevation of the lake

  
  

• an increase in the rate of capillarity

  
  

• an increase in the amount of runoff

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

What does letter X represent?

• the water table

  
  

• a floodplain

  
  

• sea level

  
  

• impermeable rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which process is represented by letter F?

• capillarity

  
  

• infiltration

  
  

• condensation

  
  

• vaporization

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Base your answer on the diagram below, which shows four tubes containing 500 milliliters of sediment labeled A, B, C, and D. Each tube contains well-sorted, loosely packed particles of uniform shape and size and is open at the top. The classification of the sediment in each tube is labeled.

Water will be able to infiltrate each of these sediment samples if the sediment is

• saturated and impermeable

  
  

• saturated and permeable

  
  

• unsaturated and impermeable

  
  

• unsaturated and permeable

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which set of surface soil conditions on a hillside would result in the most infiltration of rainfall?

• gentle slope, saturated soil, no vegetation

  
  

• gentle slope, unsaturated soil, vegetation

  
  

• steep slope, saturated soil, vegetation

  
  

• steep slope, unsaturated soil, no vegetation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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

• precipitation

  
  

• infiltration

  
  

• runoff

  
  

• snow melt

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

The diagram below represents zones within soil and rock. The zones are determined by the kinds of movement or lack of movement of water occurring within them.

What is the deepest zone into which water can be pulled by gravity?

• aerated zone

  
  

• capillary fringe

  
  

• saturated zone

  
  

• impermeable zone

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4