Question 1

We build dams to ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  control the spread of water borne diseases 
B)  generate electricity, prevent flooding, and provide irrigation and drinking water 
C)  improve habitat for native fish 
D)  drain wetlands for urban development 
E)  transform watersheds into farms, towns, and recreational areas

Question 2

Water bodies where rivers flow into the oceans, mixing fresh water with saltwater, are called ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mangroves 
B)  littoral ecosystems 
C)  estuaries 
D)  upwellings 
E)  salt marshes

Question 3

An artesian well occurs when ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  an aquifer is trapped under pressure between two layers that are less permeable 
B)  a well is dug through layers of sand and gravel into the water table 
C)  there are several aquifers that have merged 
D)  granite is overlain by a sandy substrate, allowing percolation into the aquifer 
E)  a water-bearing, porous layer of rock, sand, or gravel has accumulated groundwater over a long period of time

Question 4

The ʺblue-babyʺ syndrome that suffocates infants is a consequence of excess ________________ in the water supply.

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon 
B)  chlorine 
C)  nitrates 
D)  phosphates 
E)  E. coli

Question 5

Discuss the impacts of human-made pollution on ocean ecosystems.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the impacts of human-made pollution on...

Question 6

One-fifth of Earthʹs total fresh water supply is in ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the tundra 
B)  the ocean 
C)  estuaries 
D)  groundwater 
E)  ponds

Question 7

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Seasonal wetlands that form in early spring from snowmelt and rain and dry up as the weather warms

Accepted Answer

A) dam 
B) Ogallala aquifer 
C) aqueducts 
D) bogs 
E) pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 8

Data indicate that the present rate of freshwater consumption in most developed countries is ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  unsustainable 
B)  irrelevant, as water is not currently limiting 
C)  only a problem in areas not on the coast 
D)  sustainable for the foreseeable future 
E)  increasing groundwater storage and decreasing surface water storage

Question 9

The area that underlies the shallow water bordering continents is called the ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  continental shelf 
B)  pelagic zone 
C)  benthic zone 
D)  groundwater aeration zone 
E)  water table

Question 10

Using the Three Gorges Dam on Chinaʹs Yangtze River as an example, what are the benefits and costs associated with building dams?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using the Three Gorges Dam on Chinaʹs...

Question 11

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
-According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the number of human -induced sinkholes has doubled since 1930. Insurance claims increased 1200% from 1987 to 1991, costing nearly $100 million. A major reason for this is ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  decreases in agriculture 
B)  increased water consumption through development and urbanization 
C)  roadway construction, leading to increased runoff 
D)  global warming 
E)  increased rainfall, raising the water level

Question 12

Of the following, ________________ best describes floodplains.

Accepted Answer

A)  an area where flood irrigation of crops is used, such as a rice paddy 
B)  a region of land that is periodically flooded when a river overflows 
C)  a region of land that has been deliberately, permanently flooded due to human disturbance, such as in dam building 
D)  an area that is incidentally flooded when farming or mining operations change the course of rivers 
E)  an area that is periodically flooded because humans have altered the landscape

Question 13

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-The worldʹs largest known aquifer

Accepted Answer

A) dam 
B) Ogallala aquifer 
C) aqueducts 
D) bogs 
E) pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 14

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Place where the groundwater zones of aeration and saturation meet

Accepted Answer

A) dam 
B) Ogallala aquifer 
C) aqueducts 
D) bogs 
E) pH
F)aquifers
G)vernal pools
H)reservoir
I)water table
J)watershed

Question 15

Oceans have absorbed approximately one-third of the excess carbon dioxide that humans have added to Earthʹs atmosphere so far. This has slowed the progression of global climate change, but it has led to ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a decrease in the pH (ocean acidification) 
B)  loss of oxygen from the oceans 
C)  increases in growth of coral reefs 
D)  an increase in the pH of the worldʹs oceans 
E)  growth of oyster populations worldwide

Question 16

Most marine protected areas ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  are in the open oceans 
B)  are along the coastlines of developed nations 
C)  have been established without the consent of the United States 
D)  prohibit the installation if oil pipelines and fiber-optic cable lines within them 
E)  ban fishing and extractive activities

Question 17

Salt marshes are ________________ ecosystems, while mangroves are ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  dominated by kelp; found in coral reefs 
B)  benthic; freshwater tropical ecosystems 
C)  temperate intertidal; found on subtropical and tropical shorelines 
D)  freshwater; pelagic 
E)  tropical intertidal; found on temperate shorelines

Question 18

The rapid melting of Greenlandʹs ice cap could disrupt the NADW formation by ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  adding huge amounts of less dense fresh water to the surface of the system 
B)  reversing the El Niño-La Niña cycle 
C)  adding excess nutrients to cold northern waters 
D)  adding heat and salt to deep ocean waters 
E)  acidifying ocean water

Question 19

Describe the benefits obtained by the creation of artificial wetlands.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the benefits obtained by the creation...

Question 20

Pathogens and waterborne diseases enter drinking water supplies from ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  excess nitrogen and phosphorus as agricultural runoff 
B)  oil and chemical spills 
C)  poorly treated wastewater or from animal wastes from feed lots 
D)  pesticides entering groundwater 
E)  upwelling

Exam 12: Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts

We build dams to ________________.

Water bodies where rivers flow into the oceans, mixing fresh water with saltwater, are called ________________.

An artesian well occurs when ________________.

The ʺblue-babyʺ syndrome that suffocates infants is a consequence of excess ________________ in the water supply.

Discuss the impacts of human-made pollution on ocean ecosystems.

One-fifth of Earthʹs total fresh water supply is in ________________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Seasonal wetlands that form in early spring from snowmelt and rain and dry up as the weather warms

Data indicate that the present rate of freshwater consumption in most developed countries is ________________.

The area that underlies the shallow water bordering continents is called the ________________.

Using the Three Gorges Dam on Chinaʹs Yangtze River as an example, what are the benefits and costs associated with building dams?

Of the following, ________________ best describes floodplains.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -The worldʹs largest known aquifer

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Place where the groundwater zones of aeration and saturation meet

Oceans have absorbed approximately one-third of the excess carbon dioxide that humans have added to Earthʹs atmosphere so far. This has slowed the progression of global climate change, but it has led to ________________.

Most marine protected areas ________________.

Salt marshes are ecosystems, while mangroves are .

The rapid melting of Greenlandʹs ice cap could disrupt the NADW formation by ________________.

Describe the benefits obtained by the creation of artificial wetlands.

Pathogens and waterborne diseases enter drinking water supplies from ________________.