(1) Describe how hydrogen bonding gives water 3 unusual properties.
(2) If present, where/how would water be stored on Mars and Venus (our neighboring planets)? Why is surface water not abundant on these planets?
(3) Can the present-day rate of volcanism (and associated degassing) explain the volume of our oceans? Explain.
(4) Plate tectonics could not persist without surface water. Briefly describe the role of water in 1) strength ot the crust, 2) explosive volcanism and 3) formation of granite.
(5) Discuss the different parts of the tectonic Water Cycle.
(6) How does the Water Cycle support life on Earth?
(7) Explain how a porous rock can be impermeable. Why is permeability, and not just porosity, critical for an aquifer?
(8) Explain the conditions that are required to produce an artesian well.
(9) Explain how groundwater may be an unrenewable resource, like petroleum, in certain parts of the world. In what climatic zones may groundwater be unrenewable?
(10) What are some modern methods for locating groundwater supplies? How are geophysical methods potentially useful in locating groundwater?
1) Water content in the bulk composition of Earth is estimated to be A) 0.1%. B) 1.0%. C) 10.0%. D) 25%. E) 0% because the internal Earth is so hot.
2) Which of the following is not an effect of water on rocks? A) Water in the lithosphere lowers rock strength. B) Water in the asthenosphere lowers viscosity. C) Water in cracks and pores help rocks break apart. D) Water lowers surface energy at rock surfaces. E) Water increases gravitational acceleration, thus increasing subduction rates.
3) Which of the following locations on or in Earth hold the greatest volume of water by percent of the total water? A) ice caps and glaciers B) atmosphere C) freshwater lakes D) average in river and stream channels E) vadose zone (including soil moisture)
4) A body of rock or sediment that is both porous and permeable is a(n) A) vein. B) channel. C) aquifer. D) aquiclude. E) caprock.
5) A good water well A) ends in the vadose zone. B) goes well into the zone where all pore space is saturated with water. C) dries up during a drought year. D) should produce a cone of depression. E) should produce a minimum drawdown of 50 meters.
6) An artesian well is one that A) does not flow continuously throughout the year. B) flows to the surface under its own pressure. C) does not always go to the water table. D) does not contain water. E) does not penetrate an aquifer.
7) Good aquifers include all of the following except A) sandstone. B) granite. C) cavernous limestone. D) fractured gneiss. E) calcareous limestone.
8) Most of the groundwater that is pumped from water wells comes from A) precipitation that soaks into the ground. B) water that has been transpired by plants. C) water released by nearby sources of magma. D) the decomposition of organic debris in the ground. E) water brought to the surface by comets.
9) Permeability is the measure of a rock's A) density. B) water-holding capacity. C) mineral composition. D) fossil content. E) water-transmitting capacity.
10) The top of the subsurface zone of water saturation is the A) top zone. B) top gun. C) water table. D) water closet. E) moisture boundary.
11) The total volume of open spaces, pores, or voids in a rock or sediment expressed as a percentage is A) porosity. B) permeability. C) intensity. D) discharge. E) none of the above
12) The water table is A) always flat and horizontal. B) never near the surface. C) generally parallel to topography. D) always above the vadose zone. E) usually within a few centimeters of the surface.
13) To find the location of the water table in an area, you could A) drill several water wells and note the level of water in each well. B) simply find the elevation of all stream beds. C) look for long-standing mud puddles. D) assume that it is always about 10 meters below the surface. E) hire a psychic.
14) A place where groundwater flows or seeps from the ground to form a small stream or pool is a A) puddle. B) spring. C) artesian aquifer. D) speleothem. E) sinkhole.
15) Water below the water table and percolating downward through an aquifer that encounters a mudstone layer would most likely A) continue through the shale but at a reduced rate. B) flow laterally in the aquifer above the shale. C) develop a second water table. D) rise vertically in the aquifer. E) continue through the shale but at an increased rate.
16) An area with numerous sinkholes and caves is said to have A) a funny smell. B) karst topography. C) lost horizons. D) poor surface drainage. E) granitic bedrock.
17) Caverns usually form in A) granite. B) shale. C) fractured schist. D) conglomerate. E) limestone.
18) Sinkholes result from A) solution and collapse. B) precipitation and cementation. C) oxidation and reduction. D) fracture and folding. E) shake and bake.
19) The lowered region of the water table near a pumping well is called A) the capillary fringe. B) recharge. C) the cone of depression. D) the cone of silence. E) the discharge.
20) The presence of geysers, earthquakes, and young volcanic rocks in Yellowstone National Park suggests that A) it is a geologically stable area. B) it is a safe place for a nuclear power plant. C) it is a likely site for a major tsunami. D) it is a likely site for a major volcanic eruption. E) turbidite deposits will very likely be found there someday.
21) Our ground water supply may be polluted by A) salt water. B) nuclear waste. C) human waste. D) agricultural waste. E) all of the above
22) The atoms in a water molecule are ionically bonded.
23) Water is cohesive and resistant to evaporation because hydrogen bonds hold molecules to each other.
24) Water freezes at 32ūC and boils at 100ūC.
25) Earth is unique among the planets and moons of the Solar System because it has free water at its surface.
26) The average temperature of a planet depends on its distance from the Sun and the presence of greenhouse gases.
27) The present rate of release of water from volcanic activity is enough to explain the present volume of water in the oceans.
28) Most water on Earth today must have been released early in Earth's history.
29) Significant amounts of water are lost from Earth into space.
30) Without water, there would be no plate tectonics as we know it.
31) In general, water weakens rocks.
32) Water lowers the strength and viscosity of mantle and crustal rocks.
33) Water increases the melting point of rocks in subduction zones.
34) The average time that a water molecule spends in the hydrologic cycle is 11 days.
35) The world oceans hold about 97% by volume of Earth's water.
36) An aquiclude is a groundwater reservoir that holds from which water can be extracted.
37) Only loose materials such as soil and sediment can be aquifers.
38) The depth of the water table fluctuates from season to season.
39) Limestone usually makes a poor aquifer because calcite is only weakly soluble under near surface conditions.
40) Groves of trees on a lakeshore can actually depress the water table beneath.
41) A cone of depression in the water table is shaped like a funnel with the narrow tip of the funnel pointing upward.
42) Given the lessons taught by the "Dust Bowl", today's agricultural practices will never result in drying up of parts of the Ogallala aquifer.
43) About 25% of fresh water used in the United States goes for irrigation of crops.
44) Being denser than fresh water, subsurface saltwater in coastal regions floats on top of the fresh water layer in normal circumstances.