Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
89 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What factor has contributed to the drying up of streams and the intrusion of salty groundwater in the Long Island area?
|
overpumping of groundwater
|
|
Why is sediment yield an important consideration in a discussion of water supplies?
|
sediment is a common water pollutant
|
|
The boundary between drainage basins is called the
|
drainage divide
|
|
The drainage density on clay soils is likely to have what relationship to the drainage density on gravel soils?
|
greater drainage density on clay soils
|
|
Vegetation decreases runoff by
|
intercepting rainfall and slowing its fall to the ground
|
|
. Which of the following would likely serve as an aquitard?
|
silt
|
|
An artesian well is one that
|
contains water to the pressure level
|
|
. The rate of groundwater flow is proportional to the
|
the hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity
|
|
Groundwater mining is accomplished by
|
pumping that exceeds recharge
|
|
Concerns over water resources focus on the lack of abundance of water on Earth.
|
False
|
|
The velocity and depth of water flow influence the amount of soil or sediment the water can erode.
|
T
|
|
Runoff in areas of shale bedrock tends to be less that in areas of gravel because of the high porosity of shale.
|
T
|
|
The water table separates confined and unconfined aquifers
|
F
|
|
Water pressure is generally greater in a confined aquifer than in an unconfined aquifer.
|
T
|
|
A cone of depression forms when water is pumped from an unconfined aquifer, but not when water is pumped from a confined aquifer.
|
F
|
|
. Groundwater movement is proportional to porosity.
|
F
|
|
Groundwater mining in the Ogallala aquifer is a function of the very small amount of water contained in the aquifer.
|
F
|
|
Desalination is used only where alternative water sources are unavailable.
|
T
|
|
Hydroelectric water use is considered nonconsumptive
|
T
|
|
The global ____________ _________ involves the transfer of water between Earth’s water reservoirs.
|
gydrologic cycle
|
|
Drainage basins are separated by the ____________ _____________.
|
Drainage divide
|
|
A _____________ aquifer is largely isolated from the Earth’s surface above it.
|
Confined
|
|
Pumping of groundwater from a well creates a __________ _________ _________ in the aquifer.
|
Cone of depression
|
|
The ability of an Earth material to transmit water is called its _______________ ____________.
|
hydrologic conductivity
|
|
An _____________ stream typically lies above the water table.
|
influent
|
|
An _______________ stream gains water from an aquifer.
|
effluent
|
|
_____________ water use does not divert or remove water from its source.
|
instream
|
|
. _______________ and thermoelectric generators are the primary consumptive users of fresh water.
|
irrigation
|
|
The water management philosophy put forth by _______ __________ focuses on natural variability in water resources.
|
luna leopold
|
|
How did Hurricane Floyd contribute to dramatic water pollution in North Carolina?
|
intense rain and river flooding caused poorly sited pig farm waste lagoons to overflow
|
|
The level of decaying organic matter in water is indicated by what measure?
|
biochemical oxygen demand
|
|
What measures have largely eliminated waterborne diseases in the U.S.?
|
separation of sewage and drinking water
|
|
What is the principal cause of cultural eutrophication?
|
elevated levels of phosphorus and nitrogen
|
|
If MTBE (methyl tertbutyl ether) has such an impact on groundwater, why is it added to gasoline?
|
it helps decrease auto air pollutant emissions
|
|
The biomagnification of mercury occurs as mercury moves through
|
the aquatic food chain
|
|
If sediment is from natural sources, why is it considered a water pollutant?
|
it is an out-of-place resource
|
|
Which of the following would be considered a point source of pollution?
|
industrial wastewater discharge
|
|
Acid mine drainage is a problem because
|
. the acid water may mobilize hazardous heavy metals
|
|
What happened to the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland in 1969?
|
it caught fire
|
|
Large pig farms in North Carolina caused no pollution problems prior to the arrival of Hurricane Floyd
|
F
|
|
All coliform bacteria are harmless.
|
F
|
|
Biochemical oxygen demand reflects the amount of organic matter in water bodies.
|
T
|
|
Waterborne disease has been completely eliminated from the U.S.
|
F
|
|
Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are removed from municipal wastewater by secondary treatment.
|
F
|
|
Eutrophication can occur in the absence of human influences.
|
T
|
|
Heavy metals remain suspended in the water column indefinitely.
|
F
|
|
Thermal pollution is harmful to some organisms, but actually helps others survive.
|
T
|
|
Because they are of smaller scale, non-point source pollution sources are more easily regulated and controlled than are point sources.
|
F
|
|
. In the mid-1990s, Congress passed revisions to the Clean Water Act with broad public support.
|
F
|
|
The source of ___________ ___________ bacteria is typically animal fecal waste.
|
Escherichia coli
|
|
Nitrogen and ____________ are usually responsible for cultural eutrophication.
|
phosporus
|
|
The oil tanker ________ __________ caused massive water pollution near Valdez, Alaska in 1989.
|
exxon valdez
|
|
Biomagnification is an especially important process in the concentration of ___________ to toxic levels.
|
mercury
|
|
____________ sources of pollution are diffuse and intermittent.
|
nonpoint
|
|
Acid mine drainage results from the oxidation and dissolution of coal and __________ ores.
|
sulfide
|
|
. A cone of ___________ is formed in saltwater as it intrudes fresh groundwater near a pumping well.
|
ascention
|
|
A septic tank performs the equivalent of ______________ treatment in the municipal wastewater treatment system scheme.
|
primary
|
|
Wetlands are especially efficient at reducing _____________ levels in wastewater.
|
nutrient
|
|
After ____________ treatment of wastewater, 95% of pollutants have been removed.
|
advanced
|
|
Between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s, energy consumption in the U.S.
|
increased, but at a slower rate
|
|
The ultimate source of the energy in fossil fuels is
|
the sun
|
|
Coal rank is based upon
|
the carbon percentage and heat value
|
|
. Why is coal usage likely to increase in the future?
|
coal is an abundant resource in relation to oil and gas
|
|
Which of the following geologic features is not required for an oil or gas deposit to form?
|
volcanic rock
|
|
Which of the following geologic situations is most likely to contain significant oil concentrations?
|
300 million year old rocks that accumulated in a subsiding sedimentary basin
|
|
Methane hydrates may be a viable future energy source because
|
they are abundant and clean burning
|
|
What is the most important aspect of future oil supplies?
|
when oil production will peak
|
|
Why does acid rain result from fossil fuel consumption?
|
fossil fuel burning releases nitrogen and sulfur oxides
|
|
Nuclear fission is the process of
|
splitting of heavy atoms to make light atoms
|
|
Fossil fuels are generated by processes deep in the Earth’s interior.
|
F
|
|
Most coal has the same sulfur content, but varies widely in heat content.
|
F
|
|
Natural gas and methane hydrate energy sources have the same chemical composition.
|
T
|
|
Most of the largest oil and gas fields are located in continental interiors, far from plate boundaries
|
F
|
|
. Given current trends, oil supplies are likely to be largely consumed by the end of the 21st century.
|
T
|
|
The best solution to concerns over acid rain is to buffer lakes with calcium carbonate.
|
F
|
|
Nuclear power from splitting of U-235 is a renewable energy resource.
|
F
|
|
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant caused similar levels of environmental degradation as did the Three Mile Island accident
|
F
|
|
Radioactive minerals release energy only through the fission process.
|
F
|
|
Wind power generation has grown rapidly in the past decade.
|
T
|
|
______________ coal has the highest heat content.
|
bituminious
|
|
The rock unit that provides a barrier to upward migration of oil is called the ___________ _____________.
|
cap rock
|
|
______________ ______________ is the only site being considered in the U.S. for high-level nuclear waste storage.
|
yucca mountain
|
|
Nuclear _____________ involves the joining of lighter elements to produce heavier ones.
|
fusion
|
|
______________ _____________ systems are characterized by hot water circulation.
|
hydrothermal convection
|
|
____________ solar energy systems simply enhance absorption of solar energy without requiring mechanical power.
|
passive
|
|
Fuel cells rely on the element ___________ for their energy source.
|
hydrogen
|
|
Electricity generation through urban waste incineration is an example of _____________ power generation.
|
biomass
|
|
_______________ is the process of capturing wasted heat from power-generating and industrial installations.
|
cogeneration
|
|
The ________ path of energy policy relies more on decentralized power generation.
|
soft
|