Deck 12: Water Resources

Question 1

Any process that uses water and then returns it to the Earth far from its source is called __________.

Answer 1

consumption

Question 2

A process that uses water and then returns it to the Earth locally is called __________.

Answer 2

withdrawal

Question 3

A/an __________ __________ __________ forms near a well where water is withdrawn faster than it can flow.

Answer 3

cone of depression

Question 4

Industry accounts for about __________ percent of all water used in the United States.

A) 3
B) 20
C) 11
D) 76

Question 5

The __________ __________ __________ comprises an arid and semiarid region between the western mountains and the 100° meridian in the United States.

Question 6

Irrigation in arid or semiarid areas can lead to the problem of __________.

Question 7

Any process that uses water and then returns it to Earth far from its source is __________.

A) withdrawal
B) consumption
C) pollution
D) remediation

Question 8

Fertilizer runoff from fields is an example of __________ __________ pollution.

Question 9

Electric power generating plants account for about __________ percent of all water used in the United States.

A) 38
B) 23
C) 7
D) 93

Question 10

After all of the oxygen in a waterway is consumed, __________ __________ take(s) over.

Question 11

A __________ __________ is a canal or pipe constructed to use water.

Question 12

Excessive water removal in coastal areas can cause __________ intrusion into wells.

Question 13

Excessive removal of ground water can cause __________, the sinking or settling of the Earth's surface.

Question 14

Pollutants that do not decay naturally in a reasonable amount of time are classified as __________.

Question 15

Domestic water use accounts for about __________ percent of all water used in the United States.

A) 50
B) 38
C) 25
D) 10

Question 16

In the United States, some of the __________ regions use the __________ amounts of water.

A) wettest, greatest
B) driest, smallest
C) driest, greatest
D) wettest, smallest

Question 17

__________ is a technique that uses microorganisms to decompose a contaminant in ground water.

Question 18

Ground-water contaminants normally spread slowly into an aquifer as a contaminant __________.

Question 19

A leaking septic tank is an example of __________ __________ pollution.

Question 20

Congress passed the __________ __________ __________ in 1972, mandating the cleaning of the nation's rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

Question 21

Dams provide a net __________ of water and a __________ controlled flow of the stream.

A) loss, more
B) loss, less
C) gain, less
D) gain, more

Question 22

The amount of water underground is __________ percent greater than the amount of water above ground.

A) 60
B) 6
C) 16
D) 80

Question 23

Wastes from nuclear power plants are __________.

A) biodegradable
B) radioactive
C) harmless
D) anaerobic

Question 24

A/an __________ is an example of point source pollution.

A) fertilizer runoff
B) spill at a gas station
C) pesticide runoff
D) runoff of road salt

Question 25

The largest use of water in the United States is for:

A) cooling of electric plants.
B) industrial processes.
C) domestic use.
D) agriculture.

Question 26

During the first thirty years of the Clean Water Act, the total discharge of pollutants into the nations waters has __________.

A) increased
B) decreased, but water pollution is still a serious problem
C) remained unchanged
D) ended completely Multiple Choice

Question 27

An example of nonpoint source of pollution is:

A) a septic tank.
B) a gasoline spill.
C) fertilizer spread over a farmer's field.
D) a factory.

Question 28

Subsidence of the Earth's surface:

A) can be caused by removal of ground water.
B) can be caused by excessive addition of irrigation water.
C) results from expansion of the pore spaces in an aquifer.
D) can usually be reversed.

Question 29

The use of microorganisms to treat a contaminated aquifer is called __________.

A) bioliquidation
B) bioremediation
C) biostratigraphy
D) biohydration

Question 30

If oxygen is injected into a contaminated area for treatment, __________ remediation is applied.

A) chemical
B) biological
C) atmospheric
D) hydrologic

Question 31

A/an __________ pollutant can be consumed and destroyed by organisms.

A) nonbiodegradable
B) biodegradable
C) radioactive
D) toxic organic

Question 32

A biodegradable pollutant:

A) can be consumed and destroyed by organisms in a reasonable amount of time.
B) cannot be consumed and destroyed by organisms in a reasonable amount of time.
C) contains bioaccumulative toxic chemicals.
D) contains PCBs.

Question 33

__________ are additional costs or consequences of an activity (such as ground water pollution).

A) Extra credits
B) Extinctions
C) Extremities
D) Externalities

Question 34

__________ is the irreversible sinking or settling of Earth's surface.

A) Subsistence
B) Subtraction
C) Sublimation
D) Subsidence

Question 35

If too much freshwater is pumped out of a coastal aquifer:

A) a plume of pollution forms.
B) saltwater intrusion can occur.
C) the wells go dry.
D) flooding occurs.

Question 36

Water used to flush a toilet in a city is pumped to a sewage treatment plant, purified, and discharged into a nearby stream.

A) The water has been withdrawn.
B) The water has been polluted.
C) The water has been consumed.
D) The water has been contaminated.

Question 37

If desert or semidesert soils are irrigated for long periods of time:

A) the soil remains fertile and productive.
B) salt accumulates and destroys fertility.
C) salinization improves soil fertility.
D) the water becomes too silty to use.

Question 38

Which is the most logical sequence of steps in identifying and treating a contaminated aquifer?

A) discovery, eliminating the source, monitoring, modeling, remediation
B) eliminating the source, monitoring, discovery, modeling, remediation
C) remediation, monitoring, eliminating the source, discovery, modeling
D) modeling, monitoring, discovery, remediation, eliminating the source

Question 39

If the present pattern of water use continues, one-quarter of the original water in the wells in the Ogallala aquifer beneath the high plains will:

A) never dry up.
B) dry up in the next century.
C) be consumed by about 2020.
D) increase in water content.

Question 40

Dams and diversions can:

A) cause coastal beaches to erode.
B) cause water loss.
C) cause disaster.
D) all of the above

Question 41

A leaking septic tank is an example of nonpoint source pollution.

Question 42

Sediment accumulates in a reservoir above a dam even though the water in the reservoir continues to flow.

Question 43

Most irrigation water is consumed.

Question 44

The 1972 Clean Water Act stated that by 1985 the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters should be eliminated.

Question 45

Current demands on the Colorado River exceed the total discharge of the river.

Question 46

Most of the water in the Ogallala Aquifer accumulated during the Pleistocene.

Question 47

Pollution externalities become more expensive as pollution is reduced.

Question 48

The DOE defines a permanent repository as one that will isolate radioactive wastes for 10,000 years.

Question 49

50 liters of water per person are needed for a healthy hygienic life, but the average American uses about 800 liters of water per day.

Question 50

PCBs are troublesome water pollutants because they:

A) are toxic in high doses.
B) are carcinogenic in low doses.
C) survive in aquatic systems for decades.
D) all of the above

Question 51

Heat can pollute water.

Question 52

Arsenic is an example of a toxic inorganic compound.

Question 53

The only method for disposal of radioactive wastes is:

A) dispersal.
B) destruction.
C) storage in a place safe from geologic hazards and human intervention.
D) recycling.
True/False

Question 54

Radioactive wastes can be disposed of by incineration.

Question 55

The pollution of Love Canal was caused by:

A) biodegradable wastes.
B) plant nutrients.
C) radioactive materials.
D) industrial toxic waste.

Question 56

Sewage can contain high concentrations of:

A) radioactive materials.
B) disease organisms.
C) industrial organic compounds.
D) nonbiodegradable pollutants.

Question 57

Which of the following is not a problem in ground water pollution?

A) Plant nutrients cause algal blooms.
B) Industrial wastes contaminate water in wells.
C) Sewage pollutes water in wells.
D) Gasoline from underground tanks seeps into rock and soil.

Question 58

Aquifer depletion is uncommon in the United States.

Question 59

Dams and reservoirs result in a net gain of surface water.

Question 60

If ground water is pumped faster than it can flow, a saltwater intrusion occurs.