Chapter 8 - The Hydrologic Cycle

Question 1

Which of the following is not a property of water?

a. water exists in three different phases on the surface of the earth
b. water has a high surface tension compared to many other liquids
c. water has a relatively high heat of vaporization
d. water always becomes more dense when it gets colder
e. water has a great ability to wick through capillary tubes

Answer 1

d. water always becomes more dense when it gets colder

Question 2

Which of the following materials has a high porosity?

a. non-fractured igneous rock
b. sandstones with high contents of mineral cement
c. poorly sorted sediments
d. non-fractured metamorphic rock
e. sediments with uniform size

Answer 2

e. sediments with uniform size

Question 3

Which of the following materials has a high porosity but a low permeability?

a. limestone rock
b. poorly sorted sediments
c. sediments with uniform size
d. clay
e. gravel

Answer 3

d. clay

Question 4

What factor is most responsible for the decline of fishing villages near the Aral Sea?

a. increase in evaporation due to climate change
b. diversion of two in flowing rivers for agricultural purposes
c. poisoning of the sea from agricultural chemicals
d. overfishing
e. depletion of fish stocks from invasive species

Answer 4

b. diversion of two in flowing rivers for agricultural purposes

Question 5

Which of the following is not a result of changes to the Aral sea?

a. seasonal flooding
b. pesticide and salt laden dust
c. decreased rainfall
d. colder winters
e. hotter summers

Answer 5

a. seasonal flooding

Question 6

What technique has been successful in a partial restoration of the Aral Sea?

a. decrease in diversion of water for agricultural purposes
b. increasing the flow of rivers into the lake
c. reducing the flow of rivers out of the lake
d. Restriction of flow between arms of the lake
e. putting limits on fish catches

Answer 6

d. Restriction of flow between arms of the lake

Question 7

Water plays a central role in _____________ _____________ and ______________ _______________.

Answer 7

Moderating temperature and controlling climate

Question 8

The ________________ and _______________ ____________ of streams, waves, and glaciers, coupled with tectonic activity have produced to the _________ __ _______ ___________.

Answer 8

Erosional, depositional effects, diversity of earth’s landscapes

Question 9

The unique ___________ ___________ of water make _____ __________.

Answer 9

Chemical properties, life possible

Question 10

What is the largest reservoir in the hydrologic cycle?

Answer 10

The ocean

it contains more than 97.5% of Earth’s water

most of the water in the hydrologic cycle is feeling, and not usable by humans

Question 11

what is the largest reservoir of fresh water?

Answer 11

The polar ice sheets

• contain 74% of earths freshwater

Question 12

What is the largest reservoir of unfrozen fresh water?

Answer 12

Groundwater

Question 13

Describe the movement of water through the hydrologic cycle

Answer 13

The hydrologic cycle is powered by the sun. The six main parts of the hydrologic cycle is:

• evaporation
• condensation
• precipitation
• transpiration
• surface runoff
• infiltration

Question 14

What is infiltration?

Answer 14

The process by which water enters rock or soil through joints or small pore spaces between particles

Question 15

What is transpiration?

Answer 15

Release of water vapour from plants

Question 16

What is runoff?

Answer 16

Some of all rainwater that flows over surface - includes temporary near surface water

Question 17

Streams are part of a complex natural system that include?

Answer 17

• A channel
• a drainage basin
• a divide

Question 18

What are meandering channels?

Answer 18

• Straight channels are rare
• low gradient streams typically assume a sinuous shape, each bend is a meander

Question 19

What are braided channels?

Answer 19

• stream with many interlacing channels and bars is called braided

Question 20

what seven main ions is dissolve load comprised of?

Answer 20

1. Bicarbonate
2. calcium
3. sulphate
4. chloride
5. sodium
6. magnesium
7. potassium

Question 21

Streams form three major depositional landforms, what are they?

Answer 21

1. Floodplain
2. Alluvial fan
3. Delta

Question 22

What is floodplain?

Answer 22

Deposition of fine sediment beyond natural levees during a flood

Question 23

What is alluvial fan?

Answer 23

A fan-shaped body of alluvium at the base of an upland area

Question 24

What is Delta?

Answer 24

Triangular-shaped deposit formed when a stream enters the standing water of the sea or lake/

Question 25

Names three surface water reservoirs water can remain stored in, describe them.

Answer 25

1. Icecaps - the greatest surface water reservoir
2. lakes - formed by glaciation, volcanism, tectonism
3. wetlands - swamps, marshes, bogs

Question 26

Less than 1% of the liquid water in the hydrosphere lies been the ___________

Answer 26

Ground. it is groundwater

• it comprises a volume 35 times larger than the volume of all the freshwater lakes and streams, and is nearly 1/3 as large as all the glaciers and sea ice.
• more than 50% of it is within the 750 m depth

Question 27

Where does groundwater flow from?

Answer 27

Groundwater flows from high water table areas to low water table areas in response to gravity

• Replenishment occurs when rainfall and snowmelt and enter the ground in areas of recharge
• water moves through the system to areas discharge, where it meets the surface, streams, lakes, ponds or wetlands

Question 28

What is an aquifer?

Answer 28

An aquifer is a body of rock or regolith sufficiently porous and permeable to store and conduct significant quantities of groundwater.

Question 29

What is an artesian aquifer?

Answer 29

An artesian aquifer is an aquifer that has high hydrostatic pressure, it is freely flowing.

Question 30

How does a cave form?

Answer 30

The cable form when circulating Graham water dissolves and underground void with no opening to the surface.

Question 31

What is a sinkhole?

Answer 31

In contrast to a cave, a sinkhole is a large dissolution cavity open to the sky. in regions of exceptionally soluble rock, sinkholes and caves are so numerous that they combined to form a distinct typography of small basins, bridges, and pinnacles called karst.

Question 32

What are three reasons that a reliable water supply is critical?

Answer 32

1. For human survival and health
2. for industry and agriculture
3. for environmental services

Question 33

What is the problem with withdrawing too much groundwater?

Answer 33

Excessive groundwater withdrawal can lead to lowering of the water table, drying of springs, compaction and subsidence.

Question 34

How many people do not have access to clean drinking water?

Answer 34

1.2 billion people

Question 35

What are five sources of contaminants of surface water?

Answer 35

1. Urban, suburban and agricultural runoff
2. industrial and landfill effluents
3. mining, logging and petroleum discharge
4. airborne contaminants
   
   1. thermal pollution

Question 36

What circumstances lead to an algal bloom?

Answer 36

A common form of surface water contamination results from excess plant nutrients from fertilizers and detergents. This triggers algae growth, and aquatic weeds get out of control which leads to the bloom. when they die, their breakdown causes oxygen depletion, killing other organisms in the water, which is referred to as eutrophication.