exam 11

Question 1

In the hydrologic cycle, where does water go after precipitation reaches the ground?

Answer 1

flows into lakes, stream, and rivers, evaporation back to the atmosphere, infiltration into the ground, taken up by plants

Question 2

When water is released into the atmosphere by plants, it is called:

Answer 2

transpiration

Question 3

In the hydrologic cycle, places where water can be found are called ___, and the amount of time spent there is called the ___.

Answer 3

compartments, residence time

Question 4

About ___ percent of the world’s water is salt water

Answer 4

97.6

Question 5

Only about ___ percent of the world’s water is freshwater in a form accessible to humans and other organisms.

Answer 5

0.1

Question 6

Freshwater that originated as precipitation, and then percolated into layers of soil, gravel, and rock, is called:

Answer 6

groundwater

Question 7

The process by which precipitation percolates through the soil is called:

Answer 7

infiltration

Question 8

The upper layers of soil that contain both air and water are called the:

Answer 8

zone of aeration

Question 9

The lower layers of soil where all spaces are filled with water are called the:

Answer 9

zone of saturation

Question 10

The upper boundary of the zone of saturation is called the:

Answer 10

water table

Question 11

Layers of sand, gravel, or rock that contain groundwater are called the:

Answer 11

aquifer

Question 12

Water from an aquifer that is freely flowing at the surface is called a/an:

Answer 12

artesian well

Question 13

Areas where surface water infiltrates into an aquifer are called:

Answer 13

recharge zones

Question 14

The volume of water carried by a river is called the river’s:

Answer 14

discharge

Question 15

The place where an aquifer is most likely to be contaminated is at a/an:

Answer 15

recharge zone

Question 16

Wetlands are important in the hydrologic cycle, because they:

Answer 16

stabilize the soil and hold back surface runoff

Question 17

In the hydrologic cycle, the atmosphere holds ___ of the total water supply, and the atmosphere is the most important mechanism for ___.

Answer 17

very little; redistributing water around the world

Question 18

Water-rich countries are those with:

Answer 18

plenty of renewable water supplies of surface water and shallow groundwater, which are replenished regularly

Question 19

Water-poor countries do not have adequate renewable water supplies, due to:

Answer 19

lack of precipitation, population size

Question 20

“Mining” groundwater means:

Answer 20

using groundwater faster than it is recharged

Question 21

Which of the following types of irrigation has the most efficient use of water?

Answer 21

drip irrigation

Question 22

Which of the following is the biggest use of water by industry?

Answer 22

providing cooling water for power plants

Question 23

Which of the following can lead to water shortages in countries with insufficient clean water?

Answer 23

natural low precipitation, overconsumption by agriculture, overconsumption by industry, inadequate funds for purifying and delivering good clean water

Question 24

Withdrawal of groundwater can cause subsidence, a situation where:

Answer 24

the underground rock layers holding the groundwater collapse, causing the ground surface to drop

Question 25

Subsidence:

Answer 25

usually results in a permanent loss of an aquifer

Question 26

Withdrawal of freshwater from aquifers in coastal areas can lead to:

Answer 26

saltwater intrusion

Question 27

True or false: The decreased evaporation that occurs due to dams leads to a decrease in the salinity of the water.

Answer 27

false

Question 28

true or false: Dams help conserve water by preventing evaporation.

Answer 28

false

Question 29

The land drained by a stream or river is called a/an:

Answer 29

watershed

Question 30

Removal of vegetation in a watershed can lead to:

Answer 30

increased erosion and flooding

Question 31

Damage to vegetation in watersheds is most commonly due to:

Answer 31

agriculture and timber harvesting

Question 32

Methods of conserving water include:

Answer 32

not flushing the toilet every time you use it, taking shorter showers, not running the faucet as long while brushing teeth, using low-flow toilets and showerheads

Question 33

Methods of preventing water pollution include:

Answer 33

proper disposal of motor oil, using less fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, using a "snake" rather than chemicals to unclog pipes, proper disposal of batteries and hazardous waste

Question 34

top five household water uses in the United States:

Answer 34

toilet flushing, showers, laundry, leaks

Question 35

Point sources of water pollution are those:

Answer 35

being discharged from specific locations

Question 36

Which of the following usually is considered to be a point source of water pollution?

Answer 36

oil wells

Question 37

Which of the following is usually considered to be a nonpoint source of water pollution?

Answer 37

runoff from roads and parking lots

Question 38

Which of the following is usually true for non-point sources of water pollution?

Answer 38

nonpoint sources of pollution often pollute in major episodes, rather than continually

Question 39

A common indicator of fecal contamination in water is:

Answer 39

coliform bacteria

Question 40

Which of the following categories of water pollutants comes from untreated or improperly treated human and animal wastes?

Answer 40

infectious agents

Question 41

Which of the following is considered a source of water pollution from organic chemicals?

Answer 41

runoff of oil and gasoline

Question 42

Which of the following is considered a source of water pollution from INORGANIC chemicals?

Answer 42

toxic salts of selenium and arsenic

Question 43

Infectious agents that pollute water include:

Answer 43

bacteria viruses parasites

Question 44

Which of the following categories of water pollutants can lead to bioaccumulation and biomagnification?

Answer 44

organic chemicals

Question 45

Which of the following is a common source of radioactive materials that can pollute water?

Answer 45

mining and processing of ores

Question 46

How do sediments cause water pollution?

Answer 46

block sunlight for autotrophs choke fish and other organisms ruin drinking water

Question 47

Which of the following water pollutants are considered to be oxygen demanding wastes?

Answer 47

animal manure human sewage plant residues from paper mills food wastes from food processing

Question 48

Which of the following are plant nutrients?

Answer 48

nitrogen and phosphorous compounds

Question 49

High oxygen content in freshwater is an indication that:

Answer 49

the water is probably clean enough to support fish

Question 50

Why is thermal pollution a problem?

Answer 50

fish and other organisms can be killed outright by the hot temperatures hot water holds less dissolved oxygen than cold water

Question 51

The addition of plant nutrients to water, leading to excessive plant growth, is called:

Answer 51

eutrophication

Question 52

High amounts of plant nutrients added to freshwater can lead to algae "blooms." Why is this a problem?

Answer 52

When the algae dies, decomposers break down the algae and use up the oxygen in the water.

Question 53

Soil erosion, fallout of air pollutants, and surface runoff from urban areas, farm fields, and feedlots:

Answer 53

are the main sources of water pollution in the United States, accounting for 75% of the water pollution

Question 54

In the United States, animal waste is more of a pollution problem than human wastes because:

Answer 54

- animal waste does not go through sewage treatment like human waste does - untreated animal waste can contain infectious agents - untreated animal waste can add high levels of plant nutrients to freshwater

Question 55

How many people in the United States depend on underground aquifers for their drinking water?

Answer 55

50%

Question 56

The most toxic contaminants of aquifers come from:

Answer 56

waste disposal sites

Question 57

Aquifer contamination in the greatest volume and over the biggest area comes from:

Answer 57

agricultural chemicals and wastes

Question 58

Which of the following is a common type of ocean pollution?

Answer 58

toxic chemicals heavy metals sediments plastic garbage

Question 59

In which level of municipal sewage treatment are large solids physically removed by screens and settling tanks?

Answer 59

primary treatment

Question 60

In which level of municipal sewage treatment are settling tanks first used to allow grit and some suspended organic solids to fall out as sludge?

Answer 60

primary treatment

Question 61

In which level of municipal sewage treatment are aerobic bacteria used to break down the dissolved organic matter?

Answer 61

secondary treatment

Question 62

In which level of municipal sewage treatment are nitrates, phosphates, metals, and/or toxins all removed?

Answer 62

tertiary treatment

Question 63

Using living organisms to clean contaminated water is called:

Answer 63

bioremediation