Chapter 14: Water Table and Aquifers

Which of the following would produce a LOWER water table?

-a decrease in the amount of recharge to groundwater -an increase in the amount of discharge to surface water

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?

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

About how long have wastewater treatment plants been in existence?

120 years

How much garbage does the average person produce in a month?

150 pounds

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.

You will determine which well(s) is/are contaminated and which is/are not. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. Each label may be reused.

A: Uncontaminated C: Contaminated D: Uncontaminated

Which of the following are examples of e-waste?

All answers are correct.

Which of the following is a requirement for an artesian system to exist?

Aquitards must be present both above and below the aquifer.

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.

Although "dry tombing" or capping a landfill after it is full is necessary, what problem can it create?

Biodegradable waste can remain for decades in a landfill.

___________ would help prevent the creation of leachate.

Capping the landfill when it is filled to capacity

What happens after a geyser erupts?

Cool groundwater seeps back into the underground chambers, and the cycle starts again.

Groundwater is one component of Earth's hydrologic cycle. Water is continuously transferred back and forth between Earth's different spheres. You will label the various components of the hydrologic cycle to understand these processes. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets.

Correct answer description: The water cycle involves heat exchanges, which result in temperature changes. When water evaporates into the atmosphere, it takes up energy from its surroundings and cools the environment. When it condenses to form clouds, it releases energy and warms the environment. These heat exchanges influence our climate.

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.

What federal agency regulates the bottled water industry?

Food and Drug Administration

Once a groundwater supply is contaminated with marine water, how long will it remain contaminated?

Forever

__________ are intermittent springs that eject columns of water and steam at various time intervals.

Geysers

Which of the following is true regarding groundwater as you move deeper below the surface?

Groundwater moves over larger distances, over longer timescales.

When water winds up underground, it becomes part of the groundwater cycle. Drag the appropriate labels of Group 1 to their respective targets and the appropriate labels of Group 2 to their respective targets. You do not need to use all labels.

Group 1: Material of high porosity and permeability Group 2 (From highest to lowest) -Zone of soil moisture -Unsaturated zone -Water table -Saturated zone

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.

Look at the figure below and determine which of these is true in terms of relative pressure and water table depth at locations A and B.

Location A has a higher pressure

Read the following descriptions of rocks and layers, and identify the likelihood of each being a good aquifer by grouping them into high and low likelihoods. Drag the appropriate items to their respective bins.

Low: -Granite (igneous rock) with very few to no cracks -Gneiss (metamorphic rock that used to be granite and underwent intense pressure) High: -Sandstone (sedimentary rock composed of sand grains) -Unconsolidated gravel and sand -Conglomerate (sedimentary rock composed of various sizes of sediment such as pebbles and sand grains)

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 has happened to about 80% of the e-waste collected in the United States by recyclers?

The electronics were sent to developing countries.

What prevents water at the bottom of the underground caverns from boiling at the normal surface temperature?

The pressure from the weight of overlying water causes the boiling point to increase.

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.

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

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

Which of the following would be considered household hazardous waste?

a can of spray paint

Which of the following best describes the cone of depression?

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

A perched aquifer is located directly above a(n) __________.

aquitard

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

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

You accidentally flush your cell phone. Where will it most likely be found at a wastewater treatment facility?

bar screen

Which of the following products of a wastewater treatment facility is often put on farm fields as a fertilizer?

biosolids

What does the Kanapaha Wastewater Treatment Facility use to disinfect the treated water?

chlorine

What does the Murphree Water Treatment Plant use to disinfect the water?

chlorine

Which of the following diseases has been all but eliminated from the United States because of wastewater treatment plants?

cholera

Where does settling of solids occur at a wastewater treatment facility?

clarifier

What are the two types of aquifers?

confined and unconfined

What is the next frontier in the drinking water industry?

desalination

When computers are recycled in the United States in ways that limit environmental pollution, they are ____.

disassembled into their basic parts and recycled in various ways

A(n) __________ acts as a conduit that brings heated water to the surface.

fault

Once overlying water heats to a sufficient temperature, it __________ and releases pressure on the water below.

flashes to steam

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

Groundwater flows from __________.

high to low pressure areas

The cone of depression __________ near a well.

increases the hydraulic gradient

What hazardous material do electronics contain, making them important to recycle properly?

lead

One of the most toxic components of a computer is the _____.

lead embedded in the glass of the monitor

What hazardous material do fluorescent light bulbs contain, making it important to dispose of them properly?

mercury

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

nonflowing artesian well

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

penetrate well below the regional water table surface

When our oil supply is depleted, a new material will need to be used to produce _________.

plastic

Where is the majority of liquid freshwater found?

rocks and sediments

One of the main messages in the film about e-waste is that responsible consumers _____.

should recycle outdated electronics

Which of the following is necessary to calculate hydraulic gradient?

the distance between two wells that penetrate the zone of saturation

Which of the following is considered to be the safest drinking water source?

the groundwater

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