Question 1

Assume that chemical pollutants have been illegally dumped in the major river on the left side of this image.Will those pollutants infiltrate and contaminate any other bodies of water? If so, which ones?

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Question 2

Compare and contrast a geyser and a hot spring.

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Question 3

Undulations of the water table mimic those of the ground surface.What would happen to those undulations in the water table if all rain were to cease?

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Question 4

Explain how groundwater can sustain streams even during a long drought.

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Question 5

This image shows the gradient of the water table between Well A and Well B.Please note that the label for each well also displays the elevation of the water table in that well.Using the information present in the figure, calculate the hydraulic gradient of this cross section.

Accepted Answer

To calculate the hydraulic gradient, we need to find the change in elevation divided by the distance between the two wells. 
The change in elevation between the two wells is 28 m (elevation of water table in well A minus the elevation of water table in well B). 
The distance between the two wells is 2.4 km. 
Therefore, the hydraulic gradient is 28 m / 2.4 km = 11.7 m/km. 
So, the best answer choice is B.

Question 6

What is different about mineral deposits at Mammoth Hot Springs compared to other geothermal features in Yellowstone National Park? From which rock were these mineral deposits derived?

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Question 7

Examine the groundwater flow patterns around Point X.Into which bodies of water (if any)will water that infiltrates at Point X eventually discharge?

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Question 8

Which has a higher porosity: sand or sandstone? Why?

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Question 9

Assume that chemical pollutants have been buried at Point Y.The heavy dashed arrow shows the path of infiltration the pollutants followed.Which other bodies of water will be contaminated by these pollutants?

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Question 10

What localized lowering of the water table is present in this figure?

Accepted Answer

The localized lowering of the water table shown in this figure is a cone of depression. This is caused by pumping out water from an underground well faster than it can be replenished, resulting in a depression or decline in the water level around the well.

Question 11

Some bottled water companies advertise that their product is clean and pure because it comes from an artesian well.Discuss the validity of this statement.

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Question 12

Major coastal cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, have to find a delicate balance between supplying enough water for a healthy, growing city and preventing contamination of their groundwater supplies with saltwater due to overpumping.What steps could be taken to counteract the effects of saltwater contamination without abandoning the well? Explain.

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Question 13

Igneous and metamorphic rocks do not form with voids or pore spaces where groundwater can reside.However, these rocks can often both store and transport groundwater.What voids would make up the secondary porosity of igneous and metamorphic rocks?

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Question 14

What feature is highlighted with an arrow in this image?

Accepted Answer

The arrow is pointing towards a perched water table, which is a layer of water that sits above the main water table.

Question 15

What is the difference between a flowing artesian well and a nonflowing artesian well?

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Question 16

Explain the process of cave formation.

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Question 17

Assume that the irrigation well in the middle of this image was installed by a seed corn company and not by the farmers who own the local wells on either side.If irrigation were stopped immediately, would this localized lowering recover immediately? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

Even if the well were shut off immediately, the groundwater in the aquifer would continue to move toward the removed water at its average flow rate of 4 cm/day. Therefore, it would take some time for the localized lowering to recover.

Question 18

Explain how artesian wells are created.Your explanation should include a discussion of how they get recharged.

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Question 19

What physical features are evidence of a karst landscape?

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Question 20

A severe drought in 2012 devastated much of the United States, causing crop failure, lower stream levels, and the drying and cracking of the ground.Obviously, a great deal of water was needed to end this drought.At the end of August of that year, Hurricane Isaac made landfall along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi and proceeded to move up the Mississippi River and across central and northern Illinois by August 31 and September 1, precipitating large volumes of rain as it moved.How did the transit of Hurricane Isaac affect the drought (Did it end the drought?)? How would groundwater levels change? Explain your answers.

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Quiz 17: Groundwater