Deck 11: Soil and Water Resources

Question 1

Water withdrawals by people can lower the level of the water table.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The height of the water table usually changes by season.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Population growth and economic development often increase the demand for water resources.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Where natural springs arise, soils are wet.

Question 5

Illuviation is the process whereby nutrients are restored to the upper layers of soil.

Question 6

Fossil groundwater is water in an aquifer that is continually being replenished.

Question 7

Groundwater mining occurs where water is taken from an aquifer that has rapid natural recharge.

Question 8

Bedrock that is resistant to weathering forms soils more slowly than soft bedrock.

Question 9

The Palmer Drought Severity Index is based on potential evapotranspiration rates.

Question 10

Gentle slopes develop thicker soils than steep slopes.

Question 11

Groundwater recharge occurs as water infiltrates the soil and enters the aquifer.

Question 12

Groundwater supplies fluctuate relatively little compared to surface water supplies.

Question 13

All groundwater extraction in Saudi Arabia is groundwater mining.

Question 14

Soil color indicates what the soil is composed of and the climate under which it formed.

Question 15

In the Northern Hemisphere, north-facing slopes are drier than south-facing slopes.

Question 16

Aquifers form mostly in porous sediments and rocks.

Question 17

Soil is the layer of sediment that has been modified by organisms and water, and is the region where plant roots extend.

Question 18

Most aquifers are confined aquifers.

Question 19

The best soils for agriculture have a loam texture.

Question 20

Clay has greater permeability than sand.

Question 21

Healthy topsoil does not have bacteria living in it.

Question 22

A lack of water and soil resources was implicated in the downfall of the Maya.

Question 23

Actual evapotranspiration is the amount of water that would evaporate and transpire from plants if it were available.

Question 24

Potential evapotranspiration is the amount of water that evaporates and transpires from plants.

Question 25

Soil erosion by wind removes particles of silt and clay before it removes sand.

Question 26

Sand has high porosity and high permeability.

Question 27

Water enters an aquifer through groundwater discharge.

Question 28

The R horizon is the most important for growing food crops.

Question 29

Clay has high porosity and low permeability.

Question 30

Loam consists of about 70% sand, 20% silt, and 10% clay by volume.

Question 31

Drought occurs when water deficits persist longer than normal for a region.

Question 32

Groundwater in the southern Ogallala Aquifer is fossil groundwater.

Question 33

Sandy soils and rocky soils have high organic content.

Question 34

Groundwater overdraft can increase the height of the water table.

Question 35

Soils contain components from all of Earth's major physical systems: the lithosphere, the biosphere, the atmosphere, and the hydrosphere.

Question 36

All groundwater mining is unsustainable in the long term.

Question 37

Soils develop slower in tropical climates than in cold climates and arid climates.

Question 38

Soil erosion can change soil texture.

Question 39

Worldwide, 844 million people (or about 1 in 9) do not have access to safe drinking water.

Question 40

The horizontal layers in soils are called regoliths.

Question 41

From the ground's surface downward, which sequence is in the correct order?

A)capillary fringe-zone of aeration-zone of saturation
B)zone of saturation-zone of aeration-capillary fringe
C)zone of aeration-capillary fringe-zone of saturation
D)zone of aeration-zone of saturation-capillary fringe

Question 42

According to the map, most of the lowering of the water table level in the Ogallala Aquifer has occurred in the __________ portion(s) of the aquifer.

A)northwestern
B)northeastern
C)northeastern and central
D)central and southern

Question 43

Which marked letter zone in this figure designates the zone of saturation?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)All letters mark the zone of saturation

Question 44

__________ is\are layers of soils that are identified by their different physical and chemical properties.

A)Regolith
B)Soil horizons
C)Soil orders
D)Soil texture

Question 45

The layer of ground that is not permanently saturated is called the __________.

A)zone of aeration
B)zone of saturation
C)aquifer
D)water table

Question 46

On the October 2015 map, which region shows the greatest moisture deficits?

A)the southeastern states
B)the western states
C)the Midwest
D)the East Coast

Question 47

In the figure, red or orange soils indicate __________.

A)high organic content
B)strong weathering
C)persistent high water tables
D)heavy leaching of iron

Question 48

Through the process of __________ rainwater carries soil particles downward and deeper into the soil.

A)eluviation
B)leaching
C)pedogenesis
D)illuviation

Question 49

Which climate zone has the deepest soils?

A)the polar high
B)the subpolar low
C)the subtropical high
D)the ITCZ

Question 50

Reading this chart, what percentage of "silty clay" is composed of silt?

A)30 to 50%
B)40 to 60%
C)50 to 70%
D)60 to 80%

Question 51

Reading this chart, what percentage of "silt loam" is composed of silt?

A)20 to 35%
B)30 to 45%
C)50 to 88%
D)60 to 100%

Question 52

Rainwater moves particles and dissolved chemicals into the __________ soil horizon.

A)O
B)A
C)E
D)B

Question 53

According to the figure, soils that form in coniferous forests with cold climates are called __________.

A)entisols
B)gelisols
C)oxisols
D)spodosols

Question 54

Particle sizes of 0.002 to 0.05 millimeters are classified as __________.

A)sand
B)silt
C)clay
D)gravel

Question 55

-In the figure, water flows from points P₁ to P₂ because __________.

A)there is less hydraulic pressure at P₁ than P₂
B)there is more hydraulic pressure at P₁ than P₂
C)there is an upward slope from P₁ to P₂
D)there is a downward slope from P₁ to P₂

Question 56

Drought does what to groundwater?

A)It raises the height of the water table.
B)It lowers the height of the water table.
C)It increases the permeability of the soil.
D)It has little effect on groundwater

Question 57

This photo shows Georgia's Providence Canyon.What human activity resulted in this canyon?

A)burning the forests
B)poor agricultural practices
C)overgrazing
D)These canyons are natural.

Question 58

Why does groundwater become more expensive as the water table lowers?

A)because there is more competition for it, driving up prices
B)because it takes more energy and expense to pump it from greater depths
C)because the water must be cleaned and processed
D)The cost of groundwater does not increase as the water table lowers

Question 59

__________ occurs in wells in coastal areas when water is taken from an aquifer faster than it is replenished through recharge.

A)Groundwater overdraft
B)Saltwater intrusion
C)A perched aquifer
D)Land subsidence

Question 60

Most lakes and streams reveal what about groundwater?

A)the height of the water table
B)the permeability of the ground
C)the direction of groundwater movement
D)the size of the aquifer

Question 61

On the October 2017 map, which region shows the greatest moisture deficits?

A)the northern Great Plains, including Montana and the Dakotas
B)the western states of California, Oregon, and Washington
C)the southern states of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas
D)the northeastern states, including Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

Question 62

In the figure, dark brown soils indicate __________.

A)high organic content
B)strong weathering
C)persistent high water tables
D)heavy leaching of iron

Question 63

Which marked letter in this figure designates the capillary fringe?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)All letters mark the capillary fringe

Question 64

Through the process of __________ rainwater carries dissolved nutrients downward and deeper into the soil.

A)eluviation
B)leaching
C)pedogenesis
D)illuviation

Question 65

The most important soil-loss factor is due to __________.

A)road building
B)human settlement
C)erosion
D)poisoning

Question 66

Which is not considered when evaluating soil's texture?

A)sand content
B)water content
C)silt content
D)clay content

Question 67

Using Table 11.1, which vegetation type has the highest soil-carbon content?

A)temperate grasslands
B)croplands
C)wetlands
D)boreal forest

Question 68

According to the figure, soils that occur where the ground is permanently frozen are called __________.

A)entisols
B)gelisols
C)oxisols
D)spodosols

Question 69

Referring to Figure 11.37, how many liters of water are required to make a single pair of cotton jeans?

A)3,569
B)4,032
C)7,979
D)9,562

Question 70

Plaggen soils occur where?

A)in the Amazon rainforest
B)in equatorial Africa
C)in the eastern deciduous forest
D)in Europe

Question 71

The average topsoil depth worldwide ranges from __________ centimeters.

A)1 to 5
B)5 to 20
C)20 to 30
D)30 to 65

Question 72

__________ is the practice of creating shelves of standing water on very steep slopes to grow crops, notably rice.

A)Composting
B)Terracing
C)Contour plowing
D)Leaching

Question 73

The __________ soil horizon is also called topsoil.

A)A
B)C
C)E
D)B

Question 74

Reading this chart, what percentage of "sandy clay loam" is composed of clay?

A)20 to 35%
B)35 to 55%
C)50 to 70%
D)60 to 80%

Question 75

The actions of living organisms are concentrated in the __________ soil horizon.

A)A
B)E
C)B
D)C

Question 76

Which of the following materials is most permeable?

A)silt
B)clay
C)sand
D)gravel

Question 77

A(n) __________ is any sediment or rock with pore spaces that contain water.

A)aquiclude
B)aquifer
C)spring
D)capillary fringe

Question 78

Which factor is not considered by the Thornthwaite system that determines water availability in a given region?

A)the amount of precipitation
B)actual evapotranspiration rates
C)potential evapotranspiration rates
D)atmospheric humidity

Question 79

According to the figure, soils that commonly form in tropical regions with high rainfall are called __________.

A)mollisols
B)gelisols
C)oxisols
D)spodosols

Question 80

In the figure, which soil horizon is composed mainly of organic matter or humus?

A)O
B)A
C)E
D)B