Exam 9: Running Water and Groundwater

In 2011 snow melt and heavy rains in the upper Missouri River drainage basin produced record runoff that led to extensive flooding in lower Missouri River valley, despite the construction of numerous large flood control dams built on the river in the mid 20^th century. What type of failure in an artificial flood control system is this an example of?

Flowing water experiences______ when it flows along the sides and bottom of its channel.

A stream flowing into a sinkhole and thus leaving the land surface is called an______ .

If you just want to go for a swim in a meandering river and want to find a sandy beach, where is the best place to look for your swimming hole?

Highly impermeable layers such as compacted clay or shale are known as______ .

The suspended load of a stream______ .

Sediment deposition occurs primarily in what part of a river system?

A ______ refers to an area that contributes to a stream.

Which one of the following concerning artesian wells is not true?

The city of New Orleans is in the delta of a great river. During hurricane Katrina most of the city flooded but the area along the river, like the French Quarter, did not. Why didn't these areas flood?

Water plays an important role in sculpting the landscape of continents because______ .

The unsaturated zone above the water table is also known as the ______ .

Caves most commonly form in______ .

Alluvium refers to ______, mainly sand and gravel.

The greater the channel roughness, the______ the stream.

In the canyonlands of Utah and Arizona, canyon walls often support "hanging gardens" in which plants cling to sandstone cliffs and these hanging gardens are typically along shale beds in the sandstone. Why is this happening in a desert setting?

Which of the following must by definition result in a lower base level for rivers and streams?

Approximately how much of Earth's water supply is saline?

If two streams are otherwise identical, the stream with the smaller gradient would have the______ .

The hydrologic cycle is ______ right now but because of snow melt, sea level is______.