9. Soil And Water Resources

Question 1

soil

Answer 1

layer of sediment that has been modified by organisms and water; the region of the lithosphere into which plant roots extend

Question 2

pedogenesis

Answer 2

the process of soil formation

Question 3

bedrock

Answer 3

rock that is structurally part of and connected to earth’s crust

Question 4

regolith

Answer 4

any loose, fragmented earth material that covers bedrock

Question 5

soil horizon

Answer 5

horizontal zone within the soil identified by its chemical and physical properties

Question 6

eluviation

Answer 6

(exit) process by which rainwater carries soil particles downward

Question 7

leaching

Answer 7

process by which rainwater carries dissolved nutrients downward

Question 8

loam

Answer 8

soil that consists of approximately 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay and has a high organic content

Question 9

humus

Answer 9

organic material that makes up the topmost layers of soil (O and A horizons)

Question 10

soil taxonomy

Answer 10

a soil classification system that groups soils into 12 categories, or orders

Question 11

drought

Answer 11

prolonged period of water shortage

Question 12

groundwater

Answer 12

water found beneath earth’s surface in sediments and rocks

Question 13

percolation

Answer 13

process by which rainwater moves through the soil through narrow meandering channels

Question 14

porosity

Answer 14

available air space within sediments or rocks

Question 15

permeability

Answer 15

ease with which water can flow through soil, sediments, or rocks

Question 16

aquifer

Answer 16

a sediment or rock layer with pores that contain water

Question 17

aquiclude

Answer 17

sediment or rock layer that lacks pores and cannot contain water

Question 18

zone of aeration

Answer 18

layer of the ground not permanently saturated with water

Question 19

water table

Answer 19

top surface of an aquifer’s zone of saturation

Question 20

zone of saturation

Answer 20

layer of the ground that is usually saturated with water

Question 21

capillary fringe

Answer 21

the region of transition between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation

Question 22

infiltration

Answer 22

(into) process by which water seeps into the ground through the force of gravity

Question 23

groundwater recharge

Answer 23

movement of water into an aquifer

Question 24

groundwater discharge

Answer 24

movement of water out of an aquifer

Question 25

perched water table

Answer 25

localized water table that lies above the regional water table

Question 26

spring

Answer 26

naturally occurring discharge of groundwater that is pushed to the ground surface by hydraulic pressure

Question 27

potentiometric surface

Answer 27

the eleviation to which hydraulic pressure will push water in pipes or wells

Question 28

well

Answer 28

hole dug or drilled by people to gain access to groundwater

Question 29

artesian well

Answer 29

a well that has been drilled through an aquiclude into a confined aquifer below and may gush water

Question 30

groundwater overdraft

Answer 30

withdrawal of water from an aquifer faster than the aquifer is recharged at the site of a well

Question 31

cone of depression

Answer 31

the cone-shaped lowering of the water table resulting from groundwater overdraft

Question 32

saltwater intrusion

Answer 32

contamination of a well by salt water as a result of groundwater overdraft

Question 33

groundwater mining

Answer 33

process of extracting groundwater where there is little to no groundwater recharge

Question 34

fossil groundwater

Answer 34

water that entered an aquifer long ago and is no longer being replenished

Question 35

contaminant plume

Answer 35

cloud of pollution that migrates through an aquifer away from its source

Question 36

groundwater remediation

Answer 36

process of cleaning a contaminated aquifer

Question 37

water footprint

Answer 37

amount of water required to produce a specific item, food, or service

Question 38

virtual water

Answer 38

unseen water required to produce a manufactured item or food