Groundwater and Aquifers

Where does city water usually come from?

• Rainwater harvesting

• Underground aquifers

• Desalination plants

• Surface water resources

What does it mean for a material to be porous?

• It holds air and water in the saturated zone

• It is located directly beneath the land surface

• It allows liquids to pass through it

• It is impermeable to water

What is an aquifer?

• A layer of impermeable rock that holds water

• A type of wetland that traps water for groundwater use

• A type of well used for irrigation purposes

• A saturated area of sediment or rock that groundwater can move through

What is the water table?

• The very top of the saturated zone and the bottom of the unsaturated zone

• The zone above the saturated zone that holds water by capillarity

• The depth that you have to drill down to hit water

• A layer of clay that prevents water from flowing into the groundwater

What does it mean to recharge the water table?

• To put water into the aquifer

• To extract water from the aquifer

• To measure the depth of the water table

• To prevent water from flowing into the groundwater

How do some rivers and streams interact with groundwater?

• Some gain flow from groundwater and others lose flow to groundwater

• They have no interaction with groundwater

• They only interact with surface water resources

• They flow over impermeable layers and do not affect groundwater

Why are wetlands not great groundwater recharge features?

• Because they are impermeable to water

• Because they are not connected to the groundwater

• Because they are located in unincorporated areas

• Because they create a dam and trap water above the surface

What is the responsibility of managing groundwater sustainably?

• To ignore the impact of human activities on groundwater

• To rely solely on surface water resources

• To extract as much water as possible for current use

• To ensure future generations have access to safe clean water

What is the unsaturated zone located directly beneath?

• The land surface

• The capillary fringe

• The water table

• The saturated zone

What is the capillary fringe held by?

• Permeability

• Impermeability

• Saturated zone

• Capillarity