Deck 9: Water Resources

Question 1

The movement of water into the atmosphere from plants is

A) precipitation.
B) evaporation.
C) transpiration.
D) sublimation.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Much of Earth's water supply originated from

A) asteroids.
B) icy comets.
C) gases expelled from the Sun; i.e., solar wind.
D) photosynthesis.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is true?

A) Water has been discovered on no other planet.
B) There is no evidence of water ever existing on Mars.
C) Water occurs in significant quantities only on Earth.
D) Ice has not been detected below the surface of our Moon.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The net movement of free water molecules away from a wet surface into air that is less than saturated is known as

A) precipitation.
B) evaporation.
C) deposition.
D) sublimation.

Question 5

Eustasy refers to

A) changes in the total amount of water on Earth.
B) a steady-state equilibrium in the water system.
C) the amount of new water from outgassing volcanoes.
D) worldwide changes in sea level.

Question 6

About 50 percent of the 125,000 (30,000 ) of freshwater in lakes is

A) located in just seven lakes.
B) located in the 40 largest lakes.
C) saline.
D) in the Great Lakes.

Question 7

An estimated ________ percent of the Earth's evaporation occurs over oceans.

A) 97
B) 86
C) 71
D) 16

Question 8

Transpiration refers to

A) the movement of free water molecules away from a wet surface.
B) the outward movement of water from plant leaves.
C) an amount of moisture loss from the surface that cannot be measured.
D) evaporation.

Question 9

Which of the following is true regarding freshwater on Earth?

A) Most of it is in large lakes.
B) Most of it is frozen in glaciers and ice caps.
C) Most of it is in freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams.
D) Most of it is groundwater.

Question 10

Which of the following is not a main component of the hydrologic cycle?

A) atmosphere
B) surface
C) cryosphere
D) subsurface

Question 11

The hydrologic cycle

A) involves the continuous movement of water in all its states throughout the lower atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
B) is limited to freshwater circulation in the hydrosphere.
C) refers to the highly localized transfer of water from plants and soils to the atmosphere and back.
D) is the groundwater component of the global water cycle.

Question 12

Glacio-eustatic factors refer to

A) changes in the total amount of water on Earth.
B) a steady-state equilibrium in the water system.
C) changes in sea level related to the increase or decrease in quantities of ice.
D) changes in sea level related to the melting of icebergs.

Question 13

Which of the following is true of the distribution of land and water on Earth?

A) The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by water.
B) The Northern Hemisphere is dominated by water.
C) They are evenly distributed in both hemispheres.

Question 14

The largest portion of fresh water today is located in

A) clouds.
B) groundwater resources.
C) ice caps and glaciers.
D) the major rivers and lakes of the world.

Question 15

Water covers approximately ________ of Earth's surface.

A) 50 percent
B) 90 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 71 percent

Question 16

Which of the following is true regarding the amount of water in rivers, streams, and the atmosphere?

A) They contain 0.033 percent of the world's fresh water supply.
B) Combined, they contain the majority of the world's freshwater.
C) The amount of the world's fresh water in rivers and streams is greater than that in the atmosphere.
D) They contain 11.02% of the world's fresh water supplies.

Question 17

Other than ice sheets and glaciers, the largest repository of fresh water is located in

A) lakes and saline seas.
B) groundwater.
C) soil moisture storage.
D) rivers and streams.

Question 18

Outgassing refers to

A) changes in the total amount of water on Earth through evapotranspiration.
B) a steady-state equilibrium in the water system caused by cycles of evaporation and condensation.
C) the dynamic equilibrium between surface and ocean water.
D) process in which water and water vapor emerge from deep layers within and below the Earth's crust.

Question 19

The ________ Ocean contains the largest volume of water.

A) Atlantic
B) Pacific
C) Arctic
D) Indian

Question 20

Earth's oceans possess

A) most of the fresh water on Earth.
B) about the same amount of water as is in the atmosphere.
C) fifty percent of Earth's waters.
D) ninety-seven percent of Earth's waters.

Question 21

If precipitation and soil moisture are inadequate to meet potential evapotranspiration demands, the moisture condition is described as

A) actual evapotranspiration.
B) a surplus.
C) a deficit.
D) soil moisture utilization.

Question 22

An estimated ________ percent of the Earth's precipitation occurs over oceans.

A) 8
B) 14
C) 22
D) 78

Question 23

Which of the following is true of precipitation in North America?

A) The highest amounts occur in the Southwest and Midwest.
B) The highest amounts occur in the Southeast and extreme South.
C) The lowest amounts are received in the Midwest.
D) The lowest amounts are received near Hudson Bay.

Question 24

________ occurs when precipitation lands on vegetation or other land cover before reaching the surface.

A) Infiltration
B) Overland flow
C) Interception
D) Surface runoff

Question 25

The subsurface are in which all pore spaces are completely fill with water is known as

A) zone of saturation.
B) gravitational zone.
C) water table.
D) base flow.

Question 26

The portion of streamflow that consists of groundwater is known as

A) base flow.
B) saturated flow.
C) overland flow.
D) surface runoff.

Question 27

Which of the following would decrease the rate at which evapotranspiration occurs?

A) increased temperatures
B) increased wind speed
C) increased humidity
D) increased water availability

Question 28

Potential evapotranspiration refers to

A) the average amount of evapotranspiration over an area per unit time.
B) the amount of evapotranspiration measured from an evaporation pan.
C) the amount of evapotranspiration that would occur if available water was not limited.
D) a precise measurement of evapotranspiration using a lysimeter.

Question 29

Precipitation that falls directly to the ground is known as

A) throughfall.
B) overland flow.
C) infiltration.
D) stem flow.

Question 30

An estimated ________ percent of precipitation over land infiltrates the subsurface, of which ________ percent returns to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration.

A) 76; 85
B) 35; 97
C) 75; 75
D) 44; 80

Question 31

Which of the following is true of evapotranspiration in North America?

A) The lowest amounts occur in the Southwest and southern Texas.
B) The lowest amounts occur in northern Canada.
C) The highest amounts are received in the Midwest.
D) The highest amounts are received in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Question 32

Water enters the soil in a process called ________, and then moves downward through the soil in a process called ________.

A) percolation; infiltration
B) infiltration; percolation
C) throughfall; percolation
D) percolation; throughfall

Question 33

Intercepted water that drains across plant leaves and down their stems to the ground is known as

A) throughfall.
B) overland flow.
C) infiltration.
D) stem flow.

Question 34

________ occurs when soil soaks water into the subsurface

A) Throughfall
B) Overland flow
C) Infiltration
D) Stem flow

Question 35

Evapotranspiration from the Earth's land surface represents ________ percent of water entering the atmosphere.

A) 44
B) 86
C) 14
D) 78

Question 36

In the water budget, ________ is the major receipt and ________ is the major expenditure.

A) insolation; radiative cooling
B) outgassing; dissociation
C) precipitation; evapotranspiration
D) evapotranspiration; precipitation

Question 37

Which of the following is not used to estimate potential evapotranspiration (POTET) using Thornthwaite's method?

A) average daily temperature
B) average day length
C) average wind speed
D) average monthly temperatures

Question 38

Which of the following is true regarding the hydrologic cycle?

A) The bulk of the precipitation occurs over land.
B) Very little moisture is evaporated from the sea to the land.
C) Twenty-two percent of Earth's precipitation falls over the oceans.
D) Seventy-eight percent of all precipitation falls on the oceans.

Question 39

The downslope, unchannelized flow of water across the surface is known as

A) throughfall.
B) overland flow.
C) infiltration.
D) stem flow.

Question 40

The hydrologic cycle doesn't include water

A) at the surface of Earth and in the oceans.
B) in the atmosphere.
C) at a depth of up to several kilometers below the surface.
D) from the liquid outer core.

Question 41

Potential evapotranspiration for Phoenix, Arizona is highest during

A) March.
B) February.
C) September.
D) July.

Question 42

A drought defined based on the supply and demand of water resources is a(n)

A) meteorological drought.
B) agricultural drought.
C) hydrological drought
D) socioeconomic drought.

Question 43

A drought defined by the degree of dryness as compared to a regional average and the duration of dryness is a(n)

A) meteorological drought.
B) agricultural drought.
C) hydrological drought
D) socioeconomic drought.

Question 44

Soil moisture that plants are capable of accessing and using is called

A) wilting point water.
B) free molecular water.
C) capillary water.
D) hygroscopic water.

Question 45

Actual evapotranspiration for Phoenix, Arizona is highest during

A) March.
B) February.
C) September.
D) July.

Question 46

Which of the following types of water is accessible to plants?

A) hygroscopic
B) capillary
C) deficit water
D) transpired water

Question 47

The water balance for Kingsport, Tennessee exhibits

A) a net water surplus (SURPL) during each month of the year.
B) net demands for water for 10 months of the year.
C) water deficits in the summer months.
D) water deficits each month of the year.

Question 48

The texture and structure of the soil dictate all of the following except

A) the wilting point
B) available pore spaces (i.e., the soil's porosity).
C) flow of water through soil (i.e., the soil's permeability).
D) hygroscopic water.
E) the field capacity.

Question 49

A drought defined based on decreases in streamflow, lowering of reservoir levels, and declines in snowpacks is a(n)

A) meteorological drought.
B) agricultural drought.
C) hydrological drought
D) socioeconomic drought.

Question 50

Berkeley, CA has the highest amount of precipitation during the

A) Spring.
B) Summer.
C) Autumn.
D) Winter.

Question 51

A water surplus occurs when

A) the potential evapotranspiration demand cannot be satisfied by precipitation inputs.
B) the additional inputs of water into a system are not enough to satisfy potential evapotranspiration.
C) additional water exists after potential evapotranspiration is satisfied by precipitation inputs.
D) potential evapotranspiration is greater than soil moisture.

Question 52

Actual evapotranspiration (ACTET) is determined by

A) precipitation - deficit.
B) precipitation - surplus.
C) actual evapotranspiration - surplus.
D) potential evapotranspiration - deficit.

Question 53

The difference between the wilting point and field capacity is approximately equal to

A) wilting point water.
B) gravitational water.
C) available water.
D) hygroscopic water.

Question 54

Of the following, which soil type has the highest field capacity?

A) loam
B) clay loam
C) silt loam
D) sandy loam

Question 55

Actual evapotranspiration (ACTET) is determined by

A) deficit subtracted from Precipitation total.
B) surplus subtracted from Precipitation total.
C) surplus subtracted from Potential Evaporation.
D) deficit subtracted from Potential Evaporation.

Question 56

A drought defined by the shortage of precipitation and soil moisture effects on crop yield is a(n)

A) meteorological drought.
B) agricultural drought.
C) hydrological drought
D) socioeconomic drought.

Question 57

Soil moisture tightly bound to each soil particle and unavailable for plant use is termed ________ water.

A) capillary
B) gravitational
C) available
D) hygroscopic

Question 58

Which of the following is true when the soil is at field capacity?

A) A surplus definitely exists.
B) No gravity drainage has occurred.
C) The soil is holding the maximum amount of water that it can hold against the pull of gravity.
D) The capillary force is not acting.

Question 59

Which of the following is normally true of a hot desert?

A) Potential evapotranspiration exceeds actual evapotranspiration.
B) Actual evapotranspiration exceeds potential evapotranspiration.
C) Potential evapotranspiration equals actual evapotranspiration.
D) It is impossible to say what the normal relationship between potential and actual evapotranspiration would be in a desert.

Question 60

The amount of water associated with the wilting point in clay is ________ than that for sand and silt.

A) greater
B) less
C) approximately the same

Question 61

Which of the following is not a freshwater wetland?

A) Tidal marsh.
B) Bog.
C) Peatland.
D) Swamp.

Question 62

Approximately what percent of the world's irrigation water is from groundwater?

A) 15 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 80 percent

Question 63

The main source of groundwater is

A) hygroscopic water in the soil.
B) surface water where it intersects the zone of recharge.
C) precipitation that percolates downward as gravitational water.
D) the zone of aeration above the water table.

Question 64

Which condition may exist when the pontentiometric surface is above ground level

A) artesian water may rise to the surface.
B) drawdown in the well.
C) groundwater recharge of the aquifer.
D) a confined aquifer may become an unconfined aquifer.

Question 65

The term "groundwater mining" refers to

A) the removal of overlying rock to reach groundwater.
B) the excavation of tunnels to reach groundwater.
C) the use of groundwater to mine minerals.
D) the removal of groundwater at a rate faster than that at which it can be replaced.

Question 66

A water-bearing rock stratum is called a(n)

A) water table.
B) aquiclude.
C) zone of aeration.
D) aquifer.

Question 67

Which of the following is not an example of a potential surface water resource?

A) artificial lakes
B) aquifers
C) glaciers
D) rivers

Question 68

Hydropower power currently provides the world with approximately ________ of the world's electricity.

A) 1/2
B) 2/3rds
C) 1/4th
D) 1/5th

Question 69

The water in wetlands is

A) always freshwater.
B) always saltwater.
C) either freshwater or saltwater.
D) too polluted to use as a water resource.

Question 70

The utilization of aquifers beyond their flow and recharge capacities is known as

A) the potentiometric surface.
B) influent conditions.
C) groundwater mining.
D) the contact surface.

Question 71

Which of the following accurately describes annual groundwater withdrawal in the United States and Canada?

A) Withdrawals increased 150 percent between 1950 and 2000.
B) The percentage of withdrawals in the United States and Canada are about the same.
C) Groundwater pumping is presently not exceeding water recharge rates.
D) The amount withdrawn is equal to river discharges in the United States.

Question 72

The California Water Project is

A) a proposed dam of the Colorado River between the Parker and Palo Verde Dam.
B) a multi-year plan designed to harvest rainwater for agricultural purposes.
C) a water conveyance system to distribute water resources throughout the state.
D) an ambition goal to build a hydroelectric power station larger than China's Three Gorges.

Question 73

Approximately what percent of the U.S. population derives a portion of its fresh water from groundwater sources?

A) 10 percent
B) 30 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 74

The Colorado River is an exotic stream. This means

A) it contains a variety of exotic species, which it transports from its source to all regions through which it flows.
B) it mostly flows through arid environments, though its headwaters are located in a region of water surplus.
C) it is used for multiple purposes, including hydroelectricity generation, irrigation, water supplies, and recreation.
D) it crosses multiple countries, as well as states, in its path to the sea.

Question 75

If one were to map a vertical profile of groundwater resources, which of the following is correct order from top to bottom?

A) zone of aeration-water table-zone of saturation-impermeable rock
B) water table-zone of aeration-zone of saturation-impermeable rock
C) zone of aeration-zone of saturation-water table-impermeable rock
D) zone of saturation-water table-zone of aeration-impermeable rock

Question 76

Which of the following is not a cited benefit of China's Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River?

A) hydroelectric power
B) redistribution of water supplies
C) pollution abatement
D) flood control

Question 77

Drawdown refers to

A) the potentiometric surface of an aquifer.
B) effluent conditions where groundwater feed streamflow.
C) the aquifer recharge area.
D) the lowering of an aquifer from overuse

Question 78

The line of contact between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation is known as the

A) water table.
B) saturation contact.
C) influent line.
D) aquiclude.

Question 79

The largest fresh water lake in the world by volume is

A) Lake Superior.
B) Lake Baikal.
C) Lake Tanganyika.
D) Lake Michigan.

Question 80

The largest reservoir in the world by volume is

A) Lake Nasser.
B) Lake Kariba.
C) Lake Votka.
D) Lake Guri.