Question 1

Ultimately, which of the following is the source of energy that continually drives the hydrologic cycle?

Accepted Answer

A)  Gravity 
B)  energy from the sun and gravity 
C)  Electricity 
D)  geothermal energy 
E)  Wind

Question 2

Currently, in the United States, groundwater is being withdrawn ____ times faster than it is being replaced.

Accepted Answer

A)  2 
B)  4 
C)  8 
D)  10 
E)  20

Question 3

In 2008, Saudi Arabia announced that it will stop producing wheat by 2016 and will from that point on import wheat to feed its 29 million people. This decision has been made because

Accepted Answer

A)  its major deep aquifer has been depleted by drawing water for irrigation 
B)  multiple years of severe droughts have depleted the water table 
C)  this very rich, oil-financed economy can easily import food rather than grow its own 
D)  desalinization of sea water around Saudi Arabia has contaminated local freshwater reserves 
E)  oil seepage from oil fields has contaminated local freshwater reserves

Question 4

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice
 
-On the primary and secondary sewage treatment figure, choose the letter that represents where sludge is dried before being disposed of.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Match the items listed below with the...

Question 5

________________is slower to cleanse itself of contaminants than ____________________ _______________ ________________is.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________________is slower to cleanse itself of contaminants...

Question 6

Hoover Dam was built in the 1930's on the Colorado River, and at that time was extremely important as an employment project. The United States was just coming out of the Great Depression and it was viewed as a life-saver by thousands of people across the country. Now this dam is 80 years old. Drawing from information in this chapter about aging dams, what is a severe problem that could be expected?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hoover Dam was built in the 1930's...

Question 7

Conflicts within and between countries over scarce water supplies is expected to be most severe in

Accepted Answer

A)  industrialized, developed countries 
B)  South America 
C)  the United Kingdom 
D)  the Middle East and part of Asia 
E)  all of these countries

Question 8

Which of the following is not a way to prevent groundwater depletion?

Accepted Answer

A)  waste less water 
B)  subsidize water conservation 
C)  limit the number of wells 
D)  do not grow water intensive crops in dry areas 
E)  tax water pumped from wells near surface waters

Question 9

Which of the following human activities is thought to be directly linked to why the damage from Hurricane Katrina was so devastating to the city of New Orleans?

Accepted Answer

A)  the overdraft of groundwater from the region 
B)  the implementation of xeriscaping in the region 
C)  the degradation or removal of coastal wetlands in the region 
D)  the conversion of forests into land used for agriculture 
E)  the channelization of streams nearby

Question 10

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice
 
-On the primary and secondary sewage treatment figure, choose the letter that represents where bacteria are killed and the water is clean.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Match the items listed below with the...

Question 11

Eutrophication is a condition of natural nutrient enrichment of a shallow lake, estuary or slow-moving stream.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Assume you are vacationing by a small lake, where you intend to do some fishing. When you arrive at this lake, you notice a slight sulfur smell. Which phase of cultural eutrophication does this sulfur smell indicate?

Accepted Answer

A)  An algal bloom. 
B)  Anaerobic bacteria are decomposing the aerobic organisms. 
C)  Aerobic bacteria are decomposing the algae. 
D)  Fish have died from lack of oxygen. 
E)  Insect populations in the lake are dying off.

Question 13

Floods and droughts are

Accepted Answer

A)  strictly natural disasters 
B)  influenced by human activities 
C)  decreased by increases in human population 
D)  independent of human activity 
E)  always predictable and cyclic

Question 14

Most aquifers are rapidly recharged through precipitation that percolates downward through soil and rock.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Which of the following types of sewage treatment are properly matched?

Accepted Answer

A)  primary--removal of pollutants particular to a given area 
B)  secondary--removal of oxygen-demanding wastes 
C)  advanced--removal of suspended solids 
D)  primary - removal of oxygen-demanding wastes 
E)  primary and secondary both - removal of pollutants particular to a given area

Question 16

Which of the following decrease(s) photosynthesis in bodies of water?

Accepted Answer

A)  disease-causing organisms 
B)  inorganic plant nutrients 
C)  sediment such as soil or silt 
D)  heat 
E)  organic chemicals

Question 17

The Ogallala is which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  a massive desalination plant in the Middle East 
B)  the world's largest known aquifer 
C)  a pumping station drawing fresh water from the Great Lakes for use in the S.W. United States 
D)  a large body of water in Russia that has almost completely dried up 
E)  a river in the Middle East that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, and has the potential to become dried up due to extensive irrigation systems

Question 18

The main sources of lead, mercury and arsenic water pollutants are

Accepted Answer

A)  electric power plants 
B)  inclined landfills, household chemicals, mining refuse and industrial discharges 
C)  sewage and inorganic fertilizers 
D)  runoff from streets and parking lots 
E)  land erosion from farms that have used chemical insecticides

Question 19

Which of the following actions will help to decrease the single greatest use of domestic water in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  use a drip system in your garden 
B)  use a low-flow shower head 
C)  use native plants in your landscaping that do not require a lot of extra water 
D)  install a water-saving toilet tank 
E)  use grey water to water your houseplants

Question 20

Which of the following aquatic ecosystems receives the vast majority of the global inputs of pollution?

Accepted Answer

A)  estuary 
B)  swiftly flowing stream 
C)  deep-water ocean 
D)  coastal parts of the ocean 
E)  slow-moving river

Exam 11: Water Resources and Water Pollution