Ch.13 Water Resources Verified Test Bank

CHAPTER 13—WATER RESOURCES

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Most of the water in the Colorado River comes from which of the following sources?

2. The Colorado River provides water and electricity to what percentage of the U.S. population?

3. Access to water is an issue for all of humanity. Which issue is not one of the four that the author has cited with regard to this access?

4. What percentage of the earth's surface is covered by water?

5. What percentage of the world's water supply is liquid freshwater that is available to living organisms?

6. At a certain depth, the area where the spaces in soil and rock are completely filled with water. What is this called?

7. The geological layer, consisting of underground caverns and porous layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock, where groundwater flows, is called ____.

8. What is the land from which surface water drains into a particular lake, river, or other body of water?

9. What percentage of the world's reliable surface runoff is currently being withdrawn?

10. What percentage of water withdrawn from lakes, streams, and rivers is used by cities and residences?

11. In the United States what percentage of direct water use is lost due to water leaks?

12. More modern countries use more water. For example, how much water does it take to produce one small car?

13. Indirectly used water, that is, water consumed to produce food and other products, is called ____.

14. There are four major problems associated with the use of the Colorado River's water. Which one of the following is not one of those problems?

15. What percentage of China's major cities are already facing water shortages?

16. According to a 2010 study, what percentage of groundwater and surface water withdrawn in the U.S. is used to cool electric power plants?

17. By the year 2025, how many of the world’s people are likely to lack access to clean water?

18. Aquifers provide drinking water for how much of the world's population?

19. There are several advantages of withdrawing groundwater. Which of the following is not one of these?

20. The United States is withdrawing groundwater from aquifers at a rate that is ____ times faster than it can be recharged.

21. The term subsidence refers to

22. Withdrawing too much water from an aquifer can cause several issues. Which of the following is not one of these?

23. Tapping deep aquifers for water sources creates several concerns. Which of the following is not one of these?

24. Which of the following is not a primary goal of a dam and reservoir?

25. Four of the following are disadvantages of dam and reservoir systems; one is not. Choose the one that is not.

26. Which of the following is not true of the Colorado River basin?

27. To address the water supply problems in the Colorado River basin, experts call for the seven states using the river water to take several actions. What is not one of these?

28. Farmers could not grow lettuce in the arid interior of California without ____.

29. Which of the following is not true of the disaster that befell the Aral Sea?

30. One method of desalination uses high pressure to force saltwater through a membrane filter. This method is called ____.

31. Desalination has a number of problems. What is not one of these?

32. Many proposals have been put forth for improving desalinization. Which of the following is not one of these?

33. According to water resource experts, the main cause of water waste is ____.

34. What is the most efficient means of water delivery to crops?

35. Which of the following is not a good solution for water waste?

36. Developing countries use many low-tech methods for irrigation. Which of the following is not one of these?

37. What is not a good solution for reducing water waste in industry and homes?

38. One major human activities that has contributed to flooding is ____.

39. One of the most important and effective ways to reduce flooding is to ____.

40. Satellites can be used by scientists to detect changes in ____.

41. What is gray water?

42. Rainwater harvesting ____.

43. The Northern Aral Sea has partially recovered due to ____.

44. The delta for the Colorado River was destroyed by ____.

45. Areas such as the San Joaquin Valley and Mexico City have experienced subsidence because ____.

46. The removal of mangrove forests in coastal areas has resulted in ____.

47. Large dam and reservoir projects ____.

48. Water in the spaces between soil, rock, and gravel is called what ____.

49. Precipitation that does not infiltrate the ground or evaporate is called ____.

50. How much more efficient would irrigation have to be for there to be enough water for domestic and industrial uses in southern California?

1. Emerging shortages of water for drinking and irrigation in many parts of the world is one of the three most serious environmental problems the world faces during this century.

2. Because there is so little freshwater, most of humanity manages what water they have in an efficient and helpful way.

3. Water is a national security issue.

4. Below the relatively dry soil close to the earth’s surface, the spaces in the soil, gravel, and rock are filled with water and called the water table.

5. Groundwater does not move at all.

6. Withdrawing water from a nonrenewable aquifer is similar to mining a nonrenewable mineral resource.

7. Based on climate models, the southwestern United States and northern Mexico will likely have extended periods of extreme drought throughout the rest of this century.

8. In the United States, approximately one-half of the water used comes from groundwater sources and the other one-half from surface sources.

9. Ninety percent of the water used by Las Vegas, Nevada, comes from the Colorado River.

10. The southern part of the Aral Sea has lost 90% of its volume of water, destroying wetlands and eliminating large numbers of bird and mammal species.

11. Currently, desalination plants meet about 12% of the world's water needs.

12. Flood irrigation is the most efficient method of delivering water needed for crops.

13. The low cost of water to users due to government subsidies is a major cause of water waste.

14. Flushing toilets with water accounts for one-fourth of water use in the home.

15. Even though rises in sea level during this century may result in millions of Bangladeshi environmental refugees, the government of Bangladesh is not preparing for this possibility.

1. Most of the water in the Colorado River comes from snowmelt in the ____________________.

2. About one of every ____________________ people in the United States is dependent on the Colorado River for water and electricity.

3. Access to water is a(n) ____________________ because lack of safe water for drinking and sanitation is the world's single largest cause of illness.

4. Groundwater in an aquifer typically moves only a(n) ____________________ or so per year.

5. By 2050, some 60 countries, many of them in Asia, with ____________________ of the world’s population, are likely to be suffering from water stress.

6. In 2010, ____________________ people lacked access to enough clean water to drink, cook, and wash.

7. Groundwater overdrafts near coastal areas can contaminate aquifers with ____________________.

8. Of the world's 177 longest rivers, only ____________________ of them run freely all the way to the sea.

9. Agreements between the United States and ____________________ allocate water from the Colorado River that totals more than the river carries.

10. Agriculture consumes ____________________ of the water withdrawn in California, much of it used inefficiently for growing crops in desert-like condition of the southern half of the state.

11. Desalination produces large amounts of wastewater that contains lots of ____________________, which can not be dumped into nearby oceans.

12. Experts suggest that, worldwide, ____________________ of the water people use is wasted through evaporation, leaks, and other losses.

13. About ____________________% of the irrigation water applied throughout the world does not reach the targeted crops.

14. The largest single use of domestic water in the United States is ____________________.

15. A flood happens when water in a stream overflows its normal channel covers the adjacent area called a(n) ____________________.

1. The three most serious environmental problems the world faces this century are water shortages, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Some analysts believe water shortages could lead to war between countries that need to share water. Do you think this is possible? Why or why not?

2. Many aquifers, including the Ogallala aquifer, were formed thousands of years of years ago. Many of these aquifers are either very slowing recharged, or cannot be recharged. Should removal of this water be treated in the same fashion as mining other resources? What steps should be taken to control the removal of a nonrenewable resource such as this?

3. Dams have significant advantages, and significant disadvantages as well. Compare and contrast these advantages and disadvantages and explain whether you think dams are an appropriate tool for dealing with fresh water.

4. The Aral Sea Disaster Case Study is a classic example of unintended consequences. Summarize the events leading to the current situation and suggest what you think may be in the future for the sea.

5. Floods cause tremendous property damage and kill large numbers of people each year. Why does this happen every year, and is there anything that can be done about it?

1. What are the factors that may lead to increased water shortages in the United States by 2025?

2. What are the major concerns with pumping water from ancient, deep aquifers?

3. How might climate change affect water shortages? Provide an example.

4. What are the most efficient ways to irrigate crops?

5. Why is the cost of Israel’s irrigation water the highest in the world?