1. Which earth material covering the surface of a landfill would permit the least amount of rainwater to infiltrate the surface? A) silt B) clay C) sand D) pebbles 2. Which graph best represents the relationship between soil permeability rate and infiltration when all other conditions are the same? A) B) 5. Flash flooding often occurs in city areas because A) runoff decreases during precipitation B) ground water storage is usually very large C) roads, pavements, and buildings reduce the infiltration of water into the ground D) the heat generated by city areas decreases actual evapotranspiration C) D) 3. Which graph best represents the relationship between soil particle size and the rate at which water infiltrates permeable soil? A) B) C) D) 4. Which set of surface soil conditions on a hillside would result in the most infiltration of rainfall? A) gentle slope, saturated soil, no vegetation B) gentle slope, unsaturated soil, vegetation C) steep slope, saturated soil, vegetation D) steep slope, unsaturated soil, no vegetation
Base your answers to questions 6 through 10 on the diagram, data and information below. The diagram below represents part of the laboratory setup for an activity to investigate the effects of particle size on permeability, porosity, and water retention. Three separate tubes were used, each containing 300 milliliters of beads of uniform size. Bead sizes were 4 millimeters, 7 millimeters, and 12 millimeters in diameter, respectively. 6. Water can infiltrate loose soil when the soil is A) saturated and permeable B) saturated and permeable C) unsaturated and permeable D) unsaturated and impermeable 7. Soil composed of which kind of particles would have the longest infiltration time? [Assume that all particles allow some water to pass through.] A) pebbles B) sand C) silt D) clay 8. What was the total amount of water retained on the 7-millimeter beads after the tubing was unclamped and the water flowed out? A) 8 ml B) 12 ml C) 22 ml D) 36 ml 9. The data table shows that all three tubes of beads had approximately the same A) porosity B) water retention C) permeability time D) capillarity
10. Which graph best represents the infiltration times for these three particle sizes? A) B) C) D) 11. The diagrams below show the relative sizes of particles from soil samples A, B, and C. Equal volumes of each soil sample were placed in separate containers. Each container has a screen at the bottom. Water was poured through each sample to determine the infiltration rate. Which graph best shows how the infiltration rates of the three soil samples would compare? A) B) C) D)
12. The diagram below represents zones within soil and rock. The zones are determined by the kinds of movement or lack of movement of water occulting within them. What is the deepest zone into which water can be pulled by gravity? A) aerated zone B) capillary fringe C) saturated zone D) impermeable zone 13. Which surface soil conditions allow the most infiltration of rainwater? A) steep slope and permeable soil B) steep slope and impermeable soil C) gentle slope and permeable soil D) gentle slope and impermeable soil 14. During a rainstorm, when soil becomes saturated, the amount of infiltration A) decreases and runoff decreases B) decreases and runoff increases C) increases and runoff decreases D) increases and runoff increases 15. Through which of the following loose soil materials does water infiltrate fastest? A) clay B) silt C) sand D) pebbles
Base your answers to questions 16 and 17 on the diagram below, which shows four tubes containing 500 milliliters of sediment labeled A, B, C, and D. Each tube contains well-sorted, loosely packed particles of uniform shape and size and is open at the top. The classification of the sediment in each tube is labeled. 16. Water was poured into each tube of sediment and the time it took for the water to infiltrate to the bottom was recorded, in seconds. Which data table best represents the recorded results? A) B) C) D) 17. Water will be able to infiltrate each of these sediment samples if the sediment is A) saturated and impermeable B) saturated and permeable C) unsaturated and impermeable D) unsaturated and permeable 18. Which conditions on Earth's surface will allow for the greatest amount of water to seep into the ground? A) gentle slope and permeable B) gentle slope and impermeable C) steep slope and permeable D) steep slope and impermeable 19. When rain falls on an area of sandy soil, infiltration will usually be greater than surface runoff if the A) soil surface has a steep slope B) soil is saturated C) rate of precipitation is low D) surface is impermeable
20. Which sediment size would allow water to flow through at the fastest rate? A) clay B) silt C) sand D) pebbles 21. The diagram below shows columns A, B, C, and D that contain different sediments. Equal volumes of water were poured through each column. Which column of sediment retained the most water? A) A B) B C) C D) D
Base your answers to questions 22 through 25 on the diagram below, which shows a model of the water cycle. Letters A through F represent some processes of the water cycle. Letter X indicates the top of the underground zone that is saturated with water. 22. If the surface soil is saturated and precipitation increases, there will be A) a decrease in the amount of groundwater B) a decrease in the surface elevation of the lake C) an increase in the rate of capillarity D) an increase in the amount of runoff 23. What does letter X represent? A) the water table B) a floodplain C) sea level D) impermeable rock 24. The processes of transpiration and evaporation are represented by letters A) A and B B) B and E C) C and A D) D and E 25. Which process is represented by letter F? A) capillarity B) infiltration C) condensation D) vaporization 26. Which type of soil would water infiltrate most slowly? A) silt B) pebbles C) fine sand D) fine clay 27. In general, the probability of flooding decreases when there is an increase in the amount of A) precipitation B) infiltration C) runoff D) snow melt
28. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which represents samples of soil and bedrock at Earth's surface. The arrows represent possible infiltration of rainwater. 31. Base your answer to the following question on the diagrams below, which represent 500-milliliter containers that are open at the top and the bottom and filled with well-sorted, loosely packed particles of uniform size. A piece of screening placed at the bottom of each container prevents the particles from falling out. The sample in which container would retain the most water on the particles after 500 milliliters of water is poured through the sample? A) A B) B C) C D) D 32. Which graph best represents the relationship between the surface slope of a dry, sandy soil and the infiltration rate of rain? A) B) The least amount of rainwater will infiltrate the surface of the A) pebble soil B) pebble-and-sand soil C) conglomerate bedrock D) granite bedrock 29. As the temperature of the soil decreases from 10ºC to 5ºC, the infiltration rate of ground water through this soil will most likely A) decrease B) increase C) remain the same 30. Which soil condition allows the most infiltration of precipitation? A) saturated soil B) a steep soil surface C) coarse-grained soil D) an impermeable surface C) D) 33. Compared to an area of Earth's surface with gentle slopes, an area with steeper slopes most likely has A) less infiltration and more runoff B) less infiltration and less runoff C) more infiltration and more runoff D) more infiltration and less runoff
34. The columns A, B, C, and D shown below contain equal volumes of sediment. 36. The diagrams below represent four permeable sediment samples. The sediments are composed of the same material, but differ in particle size and sorting. Which sediment sample will most likely have the fastest groundwater infiltration rate? A) When an equal volume of water is added to each column, the greatest rate of infiltration will occur in which column? A) A B) B C) C D) D 35. Why does water move very slowly downward through clay soil? A) Clay soil is composed of low-density minerals. B) Clay soil is composed of very hard particles. C) Clay soil has large pore spaces. D) Clay soil has very small particles. B) C) D) 37. Which processes are most likely to cause a rise in the water table? A) runoff and erosion B) precipitation and infiltration C) deposition and burial D) solidification and condensation
38. Base your answer to the following question on the diagrams below, which show two soil cross sections from adjacent fields in Nebraska. Both soils are the same except that human activities have removed the vegetation from the surface of field B. Each field has been receiving rain for several hours. 39. The diagram below is a cross-sectional view of rain falling on a farm field and then moving to the water table. Which change would most likely result from replanting vegetation in field B? A) Transpiration would decrease. B) Runoff would increase. C) Erosion would increase. D) Water infiltration would increase. Which word best describes the movement of the rainwater through zone A? A) runoff B) saturation C) infiltration D) precipitation 40. Most infiltration of precipitation will occur when the Earth's soil is A) unsaturated and impermeable B) unsaturated and permeable C) saturated and impermeable D) saturated and permeable