Exam 17: Groundwater

________ is a term used to describe how the water table around a well becomes lower as water is taken from the subsurface.

Karst features like caves and sinkholes are an example of ________ porosity.

What groundwater feature forms where the water table intersects with the Earth's surface, creating a natural outflow of groundwater?

________ is the portion of groundwater that is retained as a film on particle and rock surfaces and in tiny openings in the subsurface.

Which of the following accounts for the largest usage of groundwater in the United States?

In semiarid to arid regions, groundwater is considered a nonrenewable resource because it isn't replaced at the same rate as it is withdrawn.

To be a gaining stream, the elevation of the water table must be ________ than that of the surface of the stream.

Aquitards are made of high-conductivity materials such as clay.

Which acid, found in most groundwater, is responsible for most karst topography worldwide?

The water table is the uppermost 3 feet of the zone of saturation.

Groundwater is important as an erosional agent.

What geologic process is responsible for warming the water at nonvolcanic locations such as Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, and Warm Springs, Georgia?

What feature is highlighted with an arrow in this image?

If a groundwater well pumps enough water to draw down the water table, the drawdown will increase the slope of the water table, which will increase the velocity of groundwater.

Which of the following materials is most readily dissolved by water?

Which of the following materials would make the best aquitard?

Lakes and streams are surface expressions of the water table.

Major coastal cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, have to find a delicate balance between supplying enough water for a healthy, growing city and preventing contamination of their groundwater supplies with saltwater due to overpumping.What steps could be taken to counteract the effects of saltwater contamination without abandoning the well? Explain.

What localized lowering of the water table is present in this figure?

Which of the following materials would be the best natural filter, removing contaminants from groundwater over a long period of time?