Module 14

Which of the following features would you expect to find on the outside bank of a stream meander loop?

a cut bank

Which of the following is the primary step that allows water to enter the groundwater system?

infiltration

Complete this analogy: Sliding is to gravel as dissolution is to_____________.

ions

A __________ is located where the pressure surface is above the aquifer, but below the ground.

nonflowing artesian well

Which of the following sketches best represents the longitudinal profile of the slope of a streambed?

slope decreases downstream

Which of the following rivers is the largest river in North America?

the Mississippi River

Which ocean is Earth's largest? the Indian Ocean the Atlantic Ocean the Pacific Ocean the Arctic Ocean

the Pacific Ocean

What is suspended load?

the fine-grained particles that travel in the water column above the stream bed

What is the cone of depression?

the shape that the water table takes on near a pumping well

What is the water table?

the top of the saturated zone beneath Earth's surface

An artesian system is present when groundwater __________.

under pressure rises above the aquifer level

When will a cone of depression stop enlarging?

when the amount of water flowing toward the well equals the amount of water being pumped out of the well

When might a well, Well A, go dry?

when the cone of depression of a second well intersects the deepest part of Well A

The amount of meandering that occurs in a stream influences the gradient in which of the following ways?

With more meanders, the stream gradient decreases.

From the following choices, identify those that describe the zone of erosion, the zone of transportation, and the zone of deposition within a stream. Sort these items into the appropriate bin.

Zone of erosion: -big boulders on the bed -headwaters -mountains -steep channel size -small volume of water Zone of transportation: -trunk stream -meander -moderate channel size -moderate volume Zone of deposition: -mouth -gentle slope -large channel size -large volume of water

What is a meander scar?

a landscape feature formed after an oxbow lake dries up

What is a natural levee?

a ridge of flood deposits next to a river channel

Where is most of Earth's freshwater found? as liquid at Earth's surface as ice at Earth's surface as ice below Earth's surface as liquid below Earth's surface

as ice at Earth's surface

Complete this analogy: Bouncing is to sand as suspension is to_____________.

clay

If the velocity of a stream decreases, competence __________ and sediment is _____.

decreases, deposited

How are oxbow lakes formed?

Oxbow lakes form when one meander erodes into another, cutting off water to part of the stream channel.

The cone of depression __________ near a well.

increases the hydraulic gradient

What type of stream is associated with the formation of an oxbow lake?

meandering stream

To ensure a continuous supply of water, a well must do what?

penetrate well below the regional water table surface

The majority of groundwater is stored within which of the following zones?

the zone of saturation

What is an oxbow lake?

a meander that has been cut off from the original stream channel

As shown by the South Dakota example, artesian systems __________.

are able to transmit water great distances from recharge to discharge areas

What are the three types of loads carried by streams?

bed load, suspended load, dissolved load

In which situation does the cone of depression need to be taken into account?

A well for industrial purposes is drilled proximal to a smaller, domestic well.

Which of the following statements is true?

Low gradient is associated with deposition.

Water falling in Illinois would ultimately end up where?

Gulf of Mexico

Which of the following statements about deposition and erosion around meander loops is true?

-Deposition occurs where water is moving the slowest along the inside of the loop. -Erosion occurs where water is moving the fastest along the outside of the loop.

The depth below groundwater is the water table. Also, the structure and arrangement of rocks can affect the way groundwater flows. Which of the following can control groundwater's ability to flow? Select the two that apply.

-change of water table elevation -pores/fractures in the rock

he following photo shows a typical cut bank on the Missouri River (iPhone for scale). Note the steep profile with fine-grained sediments above coarser sands and gravels. Which of the following statements are true?

A cut bank is located on the outside of a meander bend.

Which of the following would produce a LOWER water table? Choose all that apply.

An increase in the amount of discharge to surface water A decrease in the amount of recharge to groundwater

Which of the following is a requirement for an artesian system to exist? An aquitard must be present only below the aquifer. The aquifer must be unconfined for water to flow freely. Water must be confined in a flat-lying aquifer. An aquitard must be present only above the aquifer. Aquitards must be present both above and below the aquifer.

Aquitards must be present both above and below the aquifer.

Where do deposition and erosion of material occur along a meander?

Deposition occurs on the inside of the meander, whereas erosion occurs on the outside

A flood plain is the flat area around the river extending from its channel to the edge of the wide valley. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. Not all labels will be used.

From Left to right: point bar scroll bars cut bank floodplains

In the late twentieth century, Hidden River Cave had suffered from significant pollution and bad odor. Although various chemical pollutants had been dumped or spilled nearby, none had intentionally been disposed of in Hidden River Cave. How did they end up there?

Hidden River Cave and the dump sites are connected via various sinkholes and subterranean passages.

Rank the following sources of water from largest to smallest in terms of percentage of the world's total supply. Rank from largest to smallest. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them.

Oceans Glaciers Groundwater Non-glacial ice and snow Lakes Rivers

The Mammoth Plateau near Mammoth Cave National Park is higher in elevation than the surrounding landscape and separates the Sinkhole Plain from the Green River. As the Mammoth Plateau is a major topographical barrier, how does precipitation that falls on the Sinkhole Plain make it into the Green River Valley?

Precipitation infiltrates into the subsurface via sinkholes and flows through subterranean passages to the Green River Valley.

What would happen to the oceans if surface runoff and groundwater flow did NOT occur? The oceans would stay the same size. The oceans would become smaller. The oceans would become bigger.

The oceans would become smaller.

What is a floodplain?

a flat surface next to a river channel

When the local gradient of a stream changes as it goes from a mountainous area to a large flat-lying area, which of the following features could form?

an alluvial fan

What is the dominant fluvial process in a clear, sediment-poor stream moving down a steep slope?

downcutting

Where is the majority of liquid freshwater found?

rocks and sediments

How can pieces of rock in contact with a stream bed move?

rolling, sliding, bouncing

At which of the following locations is erosion occurring?

A,C,E

The presence of the Green River has a significant impact on the water table in the area around Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. How does the relationship between the Green River and the water table affect cave passage formation?

As the Green River erodes downward, the water table will lower as the groundwater flows toward the stream, carving new cave passages further from the surface.

How does the water table change around a pumping water well? How does the water table change around a pumping water well?

The water table elevation decreases.

How would the water table be affected if Earth were made up of uniform, permeable material?

The water table would not exist.

Which of the following choices does not directly affect stream velocity?

Which of the following choices does not directly affect stream velocity?

When water is pumped from a well, drawdown occurs. Which of the following is a true statement regarding drawdown?

Drawdown decreases with increasing distance from the well.

Why does groundwater discharge to Earth's surface?

Earth's surface is irregular, and permeability decreases with depth within Earth.

How does the use of water by humans affect the water table?

Use of water by humans increases discharge, resulting in lowered water tables.

If a well is drilled into an aquifer where the pressure surface is both above the aquifer and the ground, a __________ is formed.

flowing artesian well

In terms of freshwater storage, groundwater is second only to which of the following sources?

glaciers

Velocity and turbulence are _____ at the __________.

greatest; outside of a meander

Which of the following are part of the bed load? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. clay sand ions gravel

sand gravel

Which of the following zones is the location of the most biological activity?

the zone of soil moisture

Which processes result in the widening of the floodplain of a meandering stream?

undercutting and lateral erosion

During a summer with little rainfall, your house on a hill slope experiences an interval during which your well runs dry. You have to borrow water from your neighbor who lives downslope from you. Why does your neighbor have water when you don't?

As the water table drops due to the lack of precipitation, it goes below the base of your well.

At which of the following locations is deposition occurring?

B, D

Which portion of the stream is the most likely to become an oxbow lake in the near future?

D

Which of the following statements about the global water supply is true?

Decreased precipitation could impact water supply available for humans.

How does the formation of a natural levee impact flooding?

Natural levees raise the height of the stream channel, reducing the amount of flooding that will occur on the floodplain.

Below is a list of geographical features. Each one of them is an example of one of the words below. Match one location with the appropriate word it exemplifies. Sort these items into the appropriate bin. Use each item once, and place only one item per bin.

Divide: Appalachian Mountains Watershed: Missouri River Basin Tributary: Big Horn River Trunk Stream: Mississippi River

Match one definition with the appropriate word it defines. Sort these items into the appropriate bin. Use each item once, and place only one item per bin.

Divide: a boundary, usually a hill or mountain, where water will flow in opposite directions on either side Watershed: an area in which all water falling in it flows out through one location Tributary: a river that feeds into another river Trunk Stream the primary river flowing out of a drainage basin

Stream terraces form as the result of which of the following processes?

Downcutting following the rise of the landscape produces stream terraces.

How does water get from the oceans onto land? Ocean water evaporates to form solid water and moves into the atmosphere, where it condenses into liquid water and falls out of the atmosphere to land as rain. Ocean water evaporates to form gaseous water and moves into the atmosphere, where it condenses into gaseous water and falls out of the atmosphere to land as rain. Ocean water evaporates to form liquid water and moves into the atmosphere, where it condenses into liquid water and falls out of the atmosphere to land as rain. Ocean water condenses to form gaseous water and moves into the atmosphere, where it evaporates into liquid water and falls out of the atmosphere to land as rain. Ocean water evaporates to form gaseous water and moves into the atmosphere, where it condenses into liquid water and falls out of the atmosphere to land as rain.

Ocean water evaporates to form gaseous water and moves into the atmosphere, where it condenses into liquid water and falls out of the atmosphere to land as rain.

While working on a stream in your field study area, you find that the channel width is 20 meters, the channel depth is 2 meters, and the velocity is 1.2 meters/second. What is the discharge of this stream?

discharge (meters3/second) = channel width (meters) x channel depth (meters) x velocity (meters/sec) 48 m3/s

How much of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans? Half of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans. Almost none of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans. Almost all of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans. Three-quarters of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans. One-quarter of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans.

Almost all of Earth's surface water exists in the oceans.

Which of the following statements about drainage basins is FALSE?

Drainage basins only contain one river.

Below is a photo from the meandering channels at Missouri Headwaters State Park, in southwest Montana. At this location, the Missouri River is formed at the confluence of the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers. This river flows 2,341 miles before joining the Mississippi River, and is considered the longest river in the United States. Different processes influence the lateral migration of a meandering channel in its valley. Erosion, transport, and deposition all play significant roles in shaping a river through time. Focus on the locations in the channel where velocity is fast and slow, where along the channel erosion and deposition is occurring, and which direction the channel will migrate through time. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. Not all labels will be used.

From Left to right erosion faster water velocity direction of channel migration: <-- (left arrow) slower velocity deposition

What would happen to atmospheric water if Earth were mostly covered with land? The atmosphere would contain more water. The atmosphere would contain less water. The atmosphere would contain colder water. The atmosphere would contain warmer water.

The atmosphere would contain less water.

What does the hydrologic cycle describe? The hydrologic cycle describes how liquid and gaseous water move between the ocean, atmosphere, and rivers. The hydrologic cycle describes how liquid and gaseous water move between the ocean, atmosphere, and land. The hydrologic cycle describes how solid and gaseous water move between the ocean, atmosphere, and land. The hydrologic cycle describes how liquid and solid water move between the ocean, atmosphere, and land. The hydrologic cycle describes how liquid and solid water move between the ocean, atmosphere and rivers.

The hydrologic cycle describes how liquid and gaseous water move between the ocean, atmosphere, and land.

Which of the following best describes the cone of depression? a depression of the water table surface due to a relatively impermeable zone in an aquifer a dimple in the water table surface formed from changes in pressure from a ridge to stream valley a dimple in the water table surface due to water pumped faster than an aquifer can be replenished a bulge in the water table surface due to aquifer replenishment rate exceeding pumping rate a bulge formed in the water table due to a stream that is separated from the groundwater system by the unsaturated zone

a dimple in the water table surface due to water pumped faster than an aquifer can be replenished