Midterm

Question 0

When choosing a well location what is good to consider?

Answer 0

Maximize the yield
Minimize the potential for contamination
Maximize safe operation

Question 1

Clients for a water well system design would include

Answer 1

Residential households, Agricultural Farms, Livestock Operations, Municipalities, Industrial Users

Question 2

Preliminary Information Sources for choosing a well location

Answer 2

Alberta Geologic Survey (AGS)
Hydrogeologic maps and routes made in the area
The Alberta Groundwater Data Base
Door-to-door Surveys

Question 3

Field Investigations for locating Water Wells include:

Answer 3

Geophysical
Test Drilling
Downhole Geophysics
Pump Tests

Question 4

Considerations in choosing a well location are:

Answer 4

Geology of the area/ aquifer
Location of contaminant sources
Minimal distances

Question 5

What are the minimal distances by law when considering a well location?

Answer 5

Existing Buildings = 3.25m
Septic Tank = 10m
Overhead Power Lines = 2-12m 
Above Ground Fuel Storage Tanks = 50m
landfills = 500m

Question 6

Types of Water Wells - Based on Drilling Method

Answer 6

Dug
Driven or Jetted
Bored
Drilling

Question 7

The general components of a water well design include?

Answer 7

Casing
Intake Design
Annulus Fill
Surface Considerations

Question 8

What are some casing considerations when designing a well?

Answer 8

Material - most common is steel or plastic
Must have a large enough diameter to install, house, and operate
Casing must extend at least 20cm above the floor
Casing must extend at least 60cm above the highest flood
Non metallic casings must be protected by steel casing

Question 9

What is the study of Hydrology?

Answer 9

The study of surface water

Question 10

What is the study of Hydrogeology?

Answer 10

The study of water below the surface (ground water).

Question 11

What is first degree porosity?

Answer 11

intergranular/ intercrystaline porosity

Question 12

What is second degree porosity?

Answer 12

solution porosity

Question 13

How is the global water distributed?

Answer 13

96.5% Oceans, 2.5% Freshwater, 0.93% Saline groundwater, 0.07% Saline Lakes

Question 14

How is the global freshwater distributed?

Answer 14

68.6% Glaciers and Ice Caps, 30.1% Groundwater, and 1.3% Surface water.

Question 15

How is the human use of water allocated?

Answer 15

67% Agriculture, 9% Households, 8% Water supply, 7% Electricity and Gas, 4% Manufacturing, 2% Mining and 3% Other.

Question 16

What are some properties of water?

Answer 16

Bipolar, High surface tension, Adhesive, Capillarity, Universal Solvent, High heat capacity, Low viscosity, Incompressible, Most dense at 4 degrees Celsius, Three distinct phases.

Question 17

What are some famous examples of water misuse?

Answer 17

Mexico City, Holland, Cenotes, and the disappearance of the Everglades.

Question 18

Define Transmissiivity.

Answer 18

the rate at which groundwater flows horizontally through an aquifer

Question 19

Define Storativity

Answer 19

the volume of water released from storage per unit decline in hydraulic head

Question 20

Define Residence Times

Answer 20

he average time required to replace an entire volume with new water.

Question 21

What is a recharge area?

Answer 21

An area where water is moving downward from the surface to the water table, and recharging groundwater.

Question 22

What is a Discharge Area?

Answer 22

The area where the groundwater exists the aquifer, eg. a spring.

Question 23

What is porous media?

Answer 23

unconsolidated and consolidated media with pores and perhaps fractures.

Question 24

What is an aquiclude?

Answer 24

A geologic unit that is impermeable to water, e.g. unfractured crystalline rock.

Question 25

What is a perched aquifer?

Answer 25

A special type of aquifer that forms above the regional water table due to a low permeability layer beneath it.

Question 26

What is an Artesian Aquifer?

Answer 26

An aquifer that occurs when there is positive hydraulic head in the aquifer, when an aquifer's recharge area is higher in elevation than the drainage point. This allows the porous aquifer to have a positive pressure and possibly even flow water to the ground.

Question 27

What is an Flowing Artesian Aquifer?

Answer 27

An aquifer with positive hydraulic head that will discharge to the surface.

Question 28

What are the 5 major processes by which a rock can be transformed from one type of rock to another?

Answer 28

Melting, Recrystallization, Weathering, Lithification,, Metamorphism.

Question 29

What are four important physical processes that lead to the fragmentation of rock?

Answer 29

Frost action, Pressure release, Thermal expansion and contraction, Organic activity.

Question 30

What is Mass Wasting?

Answer 30

The downslope movement of weathered rock material under the influence of gravity.

Question 31

What are the two types of sediment?

Answer 31

Detrital and Chemical.

Question 32

What is Detrital Sediment?

Answer 32

Grains which are moved by wind, water or ice and settle out when current energy can no longer transport them, or in the case of ice, when the ice melts.

Question 33

What is Chemical Sediment?

Answer 33

sediment that precipitates out from a solution either inorganically or organically.

Question 34

What is seismic refraction?

Answer 34

Mapping of stratigraphy, bedrock, groundwater and faults.

Question 35

What are some applications of seismic refraction?

Answer 35

Determine depth and dip of bedrock, determine competence of bedrock, determine depth to groundwater, map stratigraphy, map faults and fracture zones, calculate engineering properties of the overburden.

Question 36

What are some advantages of seismic refraction?

Answer 36

Fast field operation, inexpensive, large area application, estimates material properties, greater vertical resolution, limited intrusive activity.

Question 37

What are some applications of using electromagnetics?

Answer 37

Mapping groundwater contaminants, detection of buried metallic structures, detection of buried waste materials, minerals exploration, environmental investigation, archaeological and forensic investigation.

Question 38

What are some advantages of using electromagnetics?

Answer 38

Fast, accurate, cost effective, exploration depth of 20 feet, ideal for geotechnical and environmental site characterization, allows measurement without electrodes or ground contact, conduct surveys under most geological conditions.

Question 39

What is ground penetrating radar used for?

Answer 39

Stratigraphy and Contamination Detection