Chapter 17

Question 1

reservoir

Answer 1

each place that stores water

Question 2

order of natural reservoirs (smallest to largest)

Answer 2

1. oceans
2. glaciers and polar ice
3. groundwater
4. lakes and rivers
5. atmosphere
6. biosphere

Question 3

residence time

Answer 3

the amount of time a given amount of water spends in a reservoir

Question 4

hydrologic cycle

Answer 4

the cyclical movement of water - through evaporation, precipitation, and runoff

Question 5

What drives the hydrologic cycle?

Answer 5

the earth’s external heat engine; the sun

Question 6

infiltration

Answer 6

the process by which water enter rock or soil through cracks or pores between particles

Question 7

transpiritation

Answer 7

process by which moisture is absorbed by plant roots and carried through to the leaves then absorbed into the atmosphere

Question 8

runoff

Answer 8

all water the flows above the land surface

Question 9

what is the distribution (%) of water on the earth?

Answer 9

1. Salt water ~ 96%
2. Fresh water ~ 4%
   - glaciers ~ 3%
   - underground ~ 1 %
   - atmosphere ~ .001%
   - biosphere ~ .0009%

Question 10

sublimation

Answer 10

the transformation of water from a solid directly to a gas

Question 11

relative humidity

Answer 11

the amount of water vapor in the air relative to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at that tempurature

Question 12

rain shadow

Answer 12

areas with low precipitation on the leeward slope of mountains

Question 13

meteoric water

Answer 13

groundwater formed from recent atmospheric percipitation

Question 14

porosity

Answer 14

percentage of rock, soil, or sediment that is porous

Question 15

permeability

Answer 15

the capacity of a solid to allow liquids to pass through it

Question 16

What types of rock and sediments make good aquifers?

Answer 16

ones with high permeability and high porosity

Question 17

unsaturated zone

Answer 17

soil and rock contains air as well as water

Question 18

saturated zone

Answer 18

pores of soil and rock are completely filled with water

Question 19

groundwater table

Answer 19

boundary between saturated and unsaturated zones

Question 20

recharge

Answer 20

infiltration of water into the saturated zone

Question 21

examples of recharge

Answer 21

rain and snow melting

Question 22

discharge

Answer 22

movement of groundwater to the surface

Question 23

examples of discharge

Answer 23

evaporation and pumping

Question 24

aquiclude

Answer 24

relatively impermeable formations

Question 25

confined aquifer

Answer 25

when aquicludes lie over and under the aquifer

Question 26

how does water get into a confined aquifer

Answer 26

through a recharge area vertical and lateral to the confined aquifer

Question 27

artesian fllow

Answer 27

water that moves through a confined aquifer

Question 28

recharge area

Answer 28

are through which water enters a confined aquifer

Question 29

what is the relationship between the rate at which water flows relative to the vertical drop in elevation of a water table?

Answer 29

directly proportional (the steeper the vertical drop, the faster the water flows)

Question 30

what is the relationship between the rate at which water flows relative to the distance the water travels?

Answer 30

inversely proportional (the longer the distance, the lower the rate)

Question 31

hydraulic gradient

Answer 31

ratio of the vertical drop to the flow distance

Question 32

what is the main use of groundwater?

Answer 32

irrigation of crops

Question 33

what are some dangers of using groundwater?

Answer 33

sink holes - create a space below ground that has a lower pressure due to absence of water and the ground could collapse