Dynamic Planet 2011
78 Questions
| Attempts: 192
Questions and Answers
- 1.
Excessive pumping of a well can reverse the natural flow of groundwater into a river, causing a fall in the water level in the river.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. TrueExplanation
This is true! You might think that in comparison to a mighty river, a well is a small and insignificant thing, but that well can have a noticeable effect on a river's flow. There is more of an interaction between the water in lakes and rivers and groundwater than most people think. Some, and often a great deal, of the water flowing in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into the streambed. Groundwater contributes water to streams in most physiographic and climatic settings. The proportion of stream water that comes from groundwater inflow varies according to a region's geography, geology, and climate.
Ground-water pumping can alter how water moves between an aquifer and a stream, lake, or wetland by either intercepting groundwater flow that discharges into the surface-water body under natural conditions or by increasing the rate of water movement from the surface-water body into an aquifer. A related effect of groundwater pumping is the lowering of groundwater levels below the depth that vegetation along the stream needs to survive. The overall effect is a loss of vegetation and wildlife habitat alongside the river.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Bottled water often is advertised as "artesian well water." Artesian water is groundwater that is naturally filtered by an aquifer composed of fine, porous material—this artesian water can be put directly into bottles.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false. While it is true that artesian water, or even just "plain" well water can sometimes be used directly for bottled water, this statement is false, because artesian water is not defined as being naturally filtered. A simple definition of artesian water is that it is water in the ground that is under pressure.
Groundwater occuring in aquifers between layers of poorly permeable rock, such as clay or shale, may be confined under pressure. If such a confined aquifer is tapped by a well, water will rise above the top of the aquifer and may even flow from the well onto the land surface, as in a spring. Water confined in this way is said to be under artesian pressure, and the aquifer is called an artesian aquifer. The word artesian comes from the town of Artois in France, the old Roman city of Artesium, where the best-known flowing artesian wells were drilled in the Middle Ages.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Which of the following combinations make for the best groundwater reservoir?
- A.
Low permeability, low porosity
- B.
Low permeability, high porosity
- C.
High permeability, low porosity
- D.
High permeability, high porosity
Correct Answer
D. High permeability, high porosity -
- 4.
When using stream ________ to classify a stream, the sizes range from a first order stream all the way to the largest, a 12th order stream.
- A.
Science
- B.
Velocity
- C.
Drainage
- D.
Order
Correct Answer
D. Order -
- 5.
When a stalactite meets a stalagmite, the result is a _____.
- A.
Dripstone
- B.
Tombolo
- C.
Pillar
- D.
Doline
Correct Answer
C. PillarExplanation
Dripstone is calcium carbonate in the form of stalactites or stalagmites
Dolines are a different name for sinkholes
A tombolo is a deposition landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a spit or bar.Rate this question:
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- 6.
What is the most notable feature absent from a karst landscape?
- A.
Vegetation
- B.
Exposed rock
- C.
Surface drainage
- D.
Vegetation
Correct Answer
C. Surface drainage -
- 7.
Streams that are classified as fourth through sixth order are___________ streams.
- A.
Headwater
- B.
River
- C.
Delta
- D.
medium
Correct Answer
D. medium -
- 8.
What does the term “uvala” refer to?
- A.
A steep-sided hill forming through karst erosion
- B.
A newly formed doline
- C.
A linear landform generated by a series of intersecting dolines
- D.
A collapsed doline with a radius of greater than 10 meters
Correct Answer
C. A linear landform generated by a series of intersecting dolines -
- 9.
Water can flow in streams even during periods of drought due to groundwater seeping into the streambanks.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True -
- 10.
This is an example of what type of drainage pattern?
- A.
Annular
- B.
Deranged
- C.
Parallel
- D.
Trellis
Correct Answer
A. Annular -
- 11.
This is an example of what type of drainage pattern?
- A.
Annular
- B.
Deranged
- C.
Parallel
- D.
Trellis
Correct Answer
D. Trellis -
- 12.
This is an example of what type of drainage pattern?
- A.
Annular
- B.
Deranged
- C.
Parallel
- D.
Trellis
Correct Answer
C. Parallel -
- 13.
This is an example of what type of drainage pattern?
- A.
Annular
- B.
Deranged
- C.
Parallel
- D.
Trellis
Correct Answer
C. Parallel -
- 14.
This is an example of what type of drainage pattern?
- A.
Parallel
- B.
Radial
- C.
Dendritic
- D.
Deranged
Correct Answer
B. Radial -
- 15.
This diagram shows ___________________.
- A.
Drainage patterns
- B.
Stream order
- C.
Stream load
- D.
Stream deposition
Correct Answer
B. Stream order -
- 16.
The water table is the altitude (below ground) where the water level in a well will rise to when the well taps a confined aquifer.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. False -
- 17.
The porosity and permeability of an aquifer define its ability to yield water to wells in productive amounts.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True -
- 18.
The most productive wells tap large open areas in subsurface rocks—including horizontal fissures, caverns, and lava tubes, which have connections to the land surface—thus allowing the aquifer to be recharged quickly by precipitation.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false. Have you ever heard this myth about groundwater? "There are rivers of water flowing below ground." For the most part, it really is a myth. Of course, it is true that there are caverns, lava tubes, and large fissures in the ground, and some of these spaces have water in them ... ever hear of "cave diving"? A river can indeed disappear into the ground.
These hydrogeologic formations, however, are not used to supply well water. Why do all the work to find a cave full of water when there is plenty of water in the aquifers all over (under, actually) the Earth? The most productive wells tap highly porous and highly permeable aquifers that have a reliable source of recharge. Think of a swimming pool filled with a huge sponge (highly porous and permeable), with a garden hose constantly keeping the pool full. If you put a big straw into the sponge, you could drink water out of it indefinitely, as long as you didn't drink faster than the garden hose refilled the pool.Rate this question:
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- 19.
The main _____________ is defined as the principal channel within a given drainage basin, into which all of the tributary streams in a drainage basin flow.
- A.
Stem
- B.
V shaped valley
- C.
Watershed
- D.
Basin
Correct Answer
A. Stem -
- 20.
The heaviest users of groundwater for drinking water and other public uses are the Southwest desert States, where surface water is scarce.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false, as the states in the Southwest desert use more surface water than groundwater. During 2005, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah used about 9,090 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of groundwater as compared to about 24,200 Mgal/d of surface water. It is true that these States are not highly populated, so maybe there is less demand by people for water, and maybe their surface water is enough to serve their purposes.Rate this question:
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- 21.
The brilliant colors around hot springs and geysers are _____.
- A.
Very short lived
- B.
Due to high pressure
- C.
Best seen in winter
- D.
Due to algae
Correct Answer
D. Due to algae -
- 22.
Streams that are classified as fourth through sixth order are medium streams while anything larger (up to 12th order) is considered a ___________.
- A.
Headwater
- B.
River
- C.
Delta
- D.
Tributary
Correct Answer
B. River -
- 23.
Solution in underground caverns leaves depositional features such as the icicle-like ____.
- A.
Stalactites
- B.
Dripstones
- C.
Pillars
- D.
Stalagmites
Correct Answer
A. Stalactites -
- 24.
Numerous landforms characterize areas of karst topography. Which of the following is not one of those landforms?
- A.
Kame
- B.
Collapse doline
- C.
Sinkhole
- D.
Uvala
Correct Answer
A. KameExplanation
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier. Kames are often associated with kettles, and this is referred to as kame and kettle topography.Rate this question:
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- 25.
Most wells are shallow because a significant amount of water cannot be obtained from wells deeper than about 500 feet; it is impossible at the moment to pump water that deep in the earth to the land surface.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false. Most wells are indeed "shallow," although shallow is a relative term. Wells that produce water for peoples' uses are generally from dozens to hundreds of feet deep—you will not find many production wells that go down 5 miles!
Not that it can't be done, though. Water can indeed be pumped from below 500 feet, even if multiple pumps at different levels have to be used. It is true that it will cost a lot more to drill and maintain a deep well compared to a shallow well, so there is more incentive to find aquifers closer to the land surface. But, it comes down to economics. If water is valuable (and scarce) enough, then it can make economic sense to spend the money to pump deep water to the surface.Rate this question:
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- 26.
More than 1/2 of all US household water comes from __________________.
- A.
Rivers
- B.
Lakes
- C.
Surface water
- D.
Ground water
Correct Answer
D. Ground water -
- 27.
Land subsidence occurs in areas underlain by highly fractured granite, which is readily dissolved by moving groundwater, especially when the water is slightly acidic.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false. You might be confusing land subsidence with sinkholes, and this statement is more true for sinkholes (not for the "granite" part). Sinkholes can occur when water, sometimes a bit acidic in nature, dissolves underground rock, often limestone or dolomite. The land surface can collapse, often dramatically, into the void space underneath.
Land subsidence takes place on a larger scale and usually is a much slower process, but it still involves land that collapses. Actually, "sinks" is a more proper term. Land subsidence is a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface owing to subsurface movement of earth materials. The basic cause of land subsidence is a loss of support below ground. In other words, sometimes when water is taken out of the soil, the soil collapses, compacts, and drops. This depends on the type of soil and also on the type of rock below the surface.Rate this question:
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- 28.
In terms of karst topography, the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide + water ⇒ carbonic acid is important because
- A.
Carbonic acid decomposes the sandstone bedrock
- B.
Carbonic acid decomposes the limestone bedrock.
- C.
Carbonic acid decomposes the granite bedrock.
- D.
Carbonic acid makes soda fizzy.
Correct Answer
B. Carbonic acid decomposes the limestone bedrock. -
- 29.
If you ate canned corn last night, there is a good chance that it was irrigated with groundwater.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True -
- 30.
How do dolines typically form?
- A.
They form from the dissolution of surface carbonate rocks.
- B.
They form from the dissolution of surface clastic rocks.
- C.
They form from the dissolution of subsurface clastic rocks.
- D.
They form from the dissolution of subsurface carbonate rocks.
Correct Answer
A. They form from the dissolution of surface carbonate rocks. -
- 31.
For some wells along the coastline that are drilled into porous aquifers, pumps are turned off twice a day (during periods of high tides), since tides temporarily raise saline groundwater levels, causing saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This one is false, but some of the concepts are true. The water level in wells can be affected by tides and if the well depth is at the same level as the area where saline and fresh water are somewhat mixed (brackish water), then the tides might have a small influence on the salinity of the brackish water. But, for water-supply wells, you won't find many that are tapping water at the point where saline water and freshwater mix; hopefully the well would be tapping the freshwater above the saline-water layer. In that case, freshwater would be always be accessed, despite the tides.
Wells are drilled along the coasts and they do yield great amounts of freshwater. For example, there are huge paper mills on the coast of Georgia, and they use a lot of fresh groundwater. Since aquifers exist in generally horizontal layers below the land surface, that means freshwater aquifers can extend underneath the oceans. Drilling a well near the coast can still tap a freshwater aquifer.
Saline aquifers also exist both underneath the oceans and under the land surface. If a well happens to be drilled into a saline or brackish aquifer, then the well can yield saline water (which neither you nor an orange tree would like to drink). Saltwater intrusion also can be a problem along the coasts. This can occur if a freshwater well is pumped too intensively for natural freshwater recharge from the surface to replenish it. In this case, salty water then can be drawn toward the well opening in the aquifer, thus yielding a mix of freshwater and saline water.Rate this question:
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- 32.
First through third order streams are also called ____________ streams and constitute any waterways in the upper reaches of the watershed. It is estimated that over 80% of the world’s waterways are these first through third order streams.
- A.
Headwater
- B.
Delta
- C.
Medium
- D.
First
Correct Answer
A. Headwater -
- 33.
Cities prefer to use groundwater for drinking-water supplies because surface water is in constant contact with streambeds and, thus, contains a higher concentration of dissolved minerals and other substances that must be removed.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false. Any water users will tend to use the water they can get to easier, cheaper, and with the least impact on the environment. In terms of water use, public supply refers to water used by organized groups of people—such as towns, cities, and communities. During 2005, the Nation withdrew about 29,600 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of surface water for public-supply uses as compared to about 14,600 Mgal/d of groundwater. Chances are that the water in that water tower on top of the hill near your house is full of water from a river, lake, or reservoir rather than groundwater.
Now, it is true that if you dipped a jar into a creek and compared the water to water from a well, the groundwater would look a lot cleaner. The water probably would be a lot clearer (unless there is a lot of dissolved iron, which would turn the water brown) and you would not find floating leaf particles in groundwater. Actually, however, groundwater usually has more dissolved minerals and substances in it than surface water. Groundwater spends a lot of time moving through rocks underground—sometimes thousands of years. Water is also the top dog when it comes to being able to dissolve substances. Groundwater will often have more dissolved substances than surface water will.Rate this question:
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- 34.
Caves and sinkholes would be most likely to occur in regions where the underlying bedrock is
- A.
Granite
- B.
Shale
- C.
Limestone
- D.
Sandstone
Correct Answer
C. Limestone -
- 35.
Big cities drill deep wells to tap naturally heated water because the heat kills bacteria and the water needs less treatment.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false, even if temperatures do rise the further down you go from the land surface. You do not have to get to the center of the Earth before things get too hot for comfort. In some deep mines, about 3,000 feet down, temperatures can be as hot as in a desert. Water coming from these depths is hot, too—but not near the boiling point. Boiling water would be found at much deeper depths.
Besides, it is a lot cheaper to just add some chlorine to water to kill bacteria rather than bear the cost of drilling a well a mile deep. Most aquifers are much closer to the land surface; many are just meters below the ground.Rate this question:
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- 36.
Artificial recharge to an aquifer can occur when people inject water down into a well to force it back into an aquifer so they can withdraw it later.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. TrueExplanation
True; this is one way of using the same groundwater again and again. Sure, it costs money and takes time to do this, but if the groundwater is valuable enough (probably because enough surface water is scarce) it may makes sense to artificially inject groundwater back into the same aquifers it came from for use on another day.
In places where the water table is close to the land surface and where water can move through the aquifer at a high rate, aquifers can be replenished artificially. For example, large volumes of groundwater used for air conditioning are returned to aquifers through recharge wells on Long Island, New York. In Orlando, Florida, water is spread across small basins, sinks into the ground, and recharges the shallow surficial aquifer to be used for irrigation of local citrus crop fields.Rate this question:
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- 37.
A travertine is a depositional landform composed
- A.
Primarily of calcium carbonate found near sinkholes
- B.
Primarily of silica found near hot springs
- C.
Primarily of silica found near sinkholes
- D.
Primarily of calcium carbonate found near hot spring
Correct Answer
D. Primarily of calcium carbonate found near hot spring -
- 38.
A large, steep-sided, circular hill of residual limestone bedrock is known as a _____.
- A.
Doline
- B.
Sinkhole
- C.
Mogote
- D.
Stalactite
Correct Answer
C. MogoteExplanation
(from Spanish pepino, "cucumber"), also called Hum (Serbo-Croatian: "hill"), or Haystack Hill, conical hill of residual limestone in a deeply eroded karst region. Pepino hills generally form on relatively flat-lying limestones that are jointed in large rectangles. In an alternating wet and dry climate, high areas become increasingly hard and resistant while low areas are subjected to greater erosion and solution. In some places, such as the Kwangsi area of China, pepino hills may have almost vertical sides and may be riddled with caves. Pepino hills develop to greater heights in regions having subtropical or equatorial rainfall and are then generally called mogotes (Spanish: "hillocksRate this question:
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- 39.
A doline is the same as ____.
- A.
A sinkhole
- B.
An uvala
- C.
A disappearing stream
- D.
A travertine deposit
Correct Answer
A. A sinkhole -
- 40.
A cone of depression occurs when you drop your scoop of ice cream (made with groundwater) on the ground on a hot summer day.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
This is false, although a cone of depression is an actual hydrologic term. In a different sense, this is true, remembering how my young daughter complained when her ice cream fell off her cone onto the pavement once.
All pumped wells, to varying degrees, cause cones of depressions to form around the well casing at the water-table (the altitude, below ground, where below it the ground is saturated with water). If large cones of depressions form then the level of the water table can decline below the depth of the water intake for the well, and the well will pump less water and possibly go dry. If this happens, it will take time for the aquifer to recharge enough to raise the water level back to previous levels. That is why it is important to study the recharge characteristics of the aquifer that is tapped by a well—the well operator should not pump a well faster than it is recharged, as a cone of depression could form.Rate this question:
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- 41.
12th order streams are smaller than 1st order streams.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. False -
- 42.
A cross-section of a cave, complete with _____________ and ________________.
- A.
Stalactites and stalagmites
- B.
Dolmines and karst
- C.
Kame and uvala
- D.
Sinkholes and kettles
Correct Answer
A. Stalactites and stalagmites -
- 43.
Encompasses the area near the shore at the top of the lake that receives sunlight, extending down to the depth where rooted plants stop growing
- A.
Littoral zone
- B.
Limnetic zone
- C.
Profundal zone
- D.
Benthic zone
Correct Answer
A. Littoral zone -
- 44.
The sunlight part at the top of the lake, similar to this zone. However, this zone is the open area away from the shore. Most photosynthesis occurs in this part of the lake
- A.
Littoral zone
- B.
Limnetic zone
- C.
Profundal zone
- D.
Benthic zone
Correct Answer
B. Limnetic zone -
- 45.
Is the deep open water, where it is too dark for photosynthesis.
- A.
Littoral zone
- B.
Limnetic zone
- C.
Profundal zone
- D.
Benthic zone
Correct Answer
C. Profundal zone -
- 46.
Is the very bottom of the lake. Organisms here tend to tolerate cooler temperatures well. low levels of photosynthesis result in low levels of dissolved oxygen.
- A.
Littoral zone
- B.
Limnetic zone
- C.
Profundal zone
- D.
Benthic zone
Correct Answer
D. Benthic zone -
- 47.
A condition of a lake or other body of water characterized by low nutrients, low productivity, and high oxygen levels in the water column
- A.
Dystrophic
- B.
Oligotrophic
- C.
Mesotrophic
- D.
Eutrophic
Correct Answer
B. Oligotrophic -
- 48.
Lake has a large, excessive supply of nutrients (mostly nitrates and phosphates) and a high primary productivity. These lakes can be created through human influences, such as pollution
- A.
Dystrophic
- B.
Oligotrophic
- C.
Mesotrophic
- D.
Eutrophic
Correct Answer
D. Eutrophic -
- 49.
These are organic rich lakes (humic and fulvic acids) fed by external inputs of the lake (watershed).
- A.
Dystrophic
- B.
Oligotrophic
- C.
Mesotrophic
- D.
Eutrophic
Correct Answer
A. Dystrophic -
- 50.
a submerged (alluvial or partly submerged) ridge in a river or along a shore
- A.
Distributary
- B.
Delta
- C.
Alluvial fan
- D.
Bar
Correct Answer
D. Bar -
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Jul 30, 2011Quiz Edited by
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