quiz 10

Question 1

The desertification of the Sahel region in Africa was the result of

Answer 1

removal of grasses and plants from the soil

Question 2

stalagmites

Answer 2

are composed of limestone precipitated out of cave water.

Question 3

A relatively impermeable layer of rock or sediment is termed a(n) .. in hydrogeologic contexts

Answer 3

aquitard

Question 4

Compared with humid climates, the rates of chemical weathering in deserts are …

Answer 4

much slower

Question 5

A periodic explosive eruption of steam and water from within the ground up through the surface is termed a(n)

Answer 5

geyser

Question 6

Hard water results from relatively high concentrations of dissolved

Answer 6

calcium and magnesium

Question 7

Pumping vast quantities of water locally

Answer 7

lowers the local water table, forming a cone-shaped depression

Question 8

If a material is porous. it

Answer 8

may be permeable or impermeable

Question 9

Any place where groundwater naturally flows out of Earth’s surface is termed a(n)

Answer 9

spring

Question 10

Physical weathering produces piles of broken rocks called …

Answer 10

talus or skree

Question 11

A well that flows without pumping is called a(n) … well

Answer 11

artesian

Question 12

The deserts found in the western United States are primarily the result of being located …

Answer 12

within rain-shadows of mountain ranges

Question 13

You are performing a dye trace study in which you add some dye to a recharge area of the Norton Aquifer and monitor various wells drilled into the aquifer to watch for the dye to appear. You have determined that the effective velocity of groundwater in the Norton Aquifer is 7.5 × 10-7 m/s, and you are monitoring wells at distances of 0.5 m (Well A), 2 m (Well B), and 100 m (Well C) from the recharge area. When do you expect the dye to appear at each well site?

Answer 13

Well A = ~7 days, Well B = ~30 days, and Well C = ~4 years.

Question 14

The water table surface mimics the topography in an area if …

Answer 14

groundwater flow rates are low

Question 15

Mesas, buttes, and chimneys are all the result of …

Answer 15

cliff retreat

Question 16

Material through which water readily flows is termed

Answer 16

permeable

Question 17

Imagine you are digging a hole when the hole suddenly starts to fill with water. What have you found?

Answer 17

water table

Question 18

An apron-shaped pile of alluvium that forms at the mouth of a canyon is known as
a(n)

Answer 18

alluvial fan

Question 19

Which desert is the result of air masses that dry out as they cross over land?

Answer 19

Gobi desert

Question 20

Desert climate associated with a rain-shadow is found

Answer 20

on the leeward side of mountain ranges

Question 21

Groundwater contaminants

Answer 21

such as sulfur, iron, calcium carbonate, and methane may originate within rock,
sediments or mine tailings through which groundwater flows.

Question 22

Hot groundwater is mineralized because

Answer 22

the hot water dissolves minerals

Question 23

Iron-rich, well-oxidized strata will typically be

Answer 23

dark red

Question 24

The majority of large cave and karst systems have resulted from … etching into …

Answer 24

carbonic acid: limestone

Question 25

The Dust Bowl event in 1933 in the central US resulted from which natural event?

Answer 25

long-term drought

Question 26

Deserts do not need to be in hot regions; they only need to be … , for example deserts can form in cold, dry … regions

Answer 26

arid; polar

Question 27

Which of the following human activities can cause desertification?
addition of fertilizer to soil
overirrigating an area
building a city in an area
diversion of water from an area

Answer 27

diversion of water from an area

Question 28

Why do deserts form in polar regions?

Answer 28

Cold air does not hold much moisture.