A) silt B) clayC) sand D) pebbles

1. Which earth material covering the surface of a landfillwould permit the least amount of rainwater toinfiltrate the surface?

A) B)

C) D)

2. Which graph best represents the relationship betweensoil permeability rate and infiltration when all otherconditions are the same?

A) B)

C) D)

3. Which graph best represents the relationship betweensoil particle size and the rate at which water infiltratespermeable soil?

A) gentle slope, saturated soil, no vegetationB) gentle slope, unsaturated soil, vegetationC) steep slope, saturated soil, vegetationD) steep slope, unsaturated soil, no vegetation

4. Which set of surface soil conditions on a hillsidewould result in the most infiltration of rainfall?

A) runoff decreases during precipitationB) ground water storage is usually very largeC) roads, pavements, and buildings reduce the

infiltration of water into the groundD) the heat generated by city areas decreases actual

evapotranspiration

5. Flash flooding often occurs in city areas because

Base your answers to questions 6 through 10 on the diagram, data and information below. The diagram below represents part of the laboratory setupfor 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 sizeswere 4 millimeters, 7 millimeters, and 12 millimeters in diameter, respectively.

A) saturated and permeable B) saturated and permeableC) unsaturated and permeable D) unsaturated and impermeable

6. Water can infiltrate loose soil when the soil is

A) pebbles B) sand C) silt D) clay

7. Soil composed of which kind of particles would have the longest infiltration time? [Assume that allparticles allow some water to pass through.]

A) 8 mL B) 12 mL C) 22 mL D) 36 mL

8. What was the total amount of water retained on the 7-millimeter beads after the tubing was unclampedand the water flowed out?

A) porosity B) water retentionC) permeability time D) capillarity

9. The data table shows that all three tubes of beads had approximately the same

A) B)

C) D)

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. Equalvolumes of each soil sample were placed in separate containers. Each container has a screen at thebottom. 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) aerated zone B) capillary fringeC) saturated zone D) impermeable zone

12. The diagram below represents zones within soil androck. The zones are determined by the kinds ofmovement or lack of movement of water occultingwithin them.

What is the deepest zone into which water can bepulled by gravity?

A) steep slope and permeable soilB) steep slope and impermeable soilC) gentle slope and permeable soilD) gentle slope and impermeable soil

13. Which surface soil conditions allow the mostinfiltration of rainwater?

A) decreases and runoff decreasesB) decreases and runoff increasesC) increases and runoff decreasesD) increases and runoff increases

14. During a rainstorm, when soil becomes saturated, theamount of infiltration

A) clay B) siltC) sand D) pebbles

15. Through which of the following loose soil materialsdoes water infiltrate fastest?

Base your answers to questions 16 and 17 on the diagram below, which shows four tubes containing500 milliliters of sediment labeled A, B, C, and D. Each tube contains well-sorted, loosely packedparticles of uniform shape and size and is open at the top. The classification of the sediment in eachtube is labeled.

A) B)

C) D)

16. Water was poured into each tube of sediment and the time it took for the water to infiltrate tothe bottom was recorded, in seconds. Which data table best represents the recorded results?

A) saturated and impermeable B) saturated and permeableC) unsaturated and impermeable D) unsaturated and permeable

17. Water will be able to infiltrate each of these sediment samples if the sediment is

A) gentle slope and permeableB) gentle slope and impermeableC) steep slope and permeableD) steep slope and impermeable

18. Which conditions on Earth's surface will allow forthe greatest amount of water to seep into the ground?

A) soil surface has a steep slopeB) soil is saturatedC) rate of precipitation is lowD) surface is impermeable

19. When rain falls on an area of sandy soil, infiltrationwill usually be greater than surface runoff if the

A) clay B) siltC) sand D) pebbles

20. Which sediment size would allow water to flowthrough at the fastest rate?

A) A B) B C) C D) D

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 themost water?

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 someprocesses of the water cycle. Letter X indicates the top of the underground zone that is saturated withwater.

A) a decrease in the amount of groundwaterB) a decrease in the surface elevation of the lakeC) an increase in the rate of capillarityD) an increase in the amount of runoff

22. If the surface soil is saturated and precipitation increases, there will be

A) the water table B) a floodplainC) sea level D) impermeable rock

23. What does letter X represent?

A) A and B B) B and E C) C and A D) D and E

24. The processes of transpiration and evaporation are represented by letters

A) capillarity B) infiltration C) condensation D) vaporization

25. Which process is represented by letter F?

A) silt B) pebblesC) fine sand D) fine clay

26. Which type of soil would water infiltrate mostslowly?

A) precipitation B) infiltrationC) runoff D) snow melt

27. In general, the probability of flooding decreaseswhen there is an increase in the amount of

28. Base your answer to the following question on thediagram below, which represents samples of soil andbedrock at Earth's surface. The arrows representpossible infiltration of rainwater.

A) pebble soilB) pebble-and-sand soilC) conglomerate bedrockD) granite bedrock

The least amount of rainwater will infiltrate thesurface of the

A) decrease B) increaseC) remain the same

29. As the temperature of the soil decreases from 10ºCto –5ºC, the infiltration rate of ground water throughthis soil will most likely

A) saturated soilB) a steep soil surfaceC) coarse-grained soilD) an impermeable surface

30. Which soil condition allows the most infiltration ofprecipitation?

31. Base your answer to the following question on thediagrams below, which represent 500-millilitercontainers that are open at the top and the bottomand filled with well-sorted, loosely packed particlesof uniform size. A piece of screening placed at thebottom of each container prevents the particles fromfalling out.

A) A B) B C) C D) D

The sample in which container would retain the mostwater on the particles after 500 milliliters of water ispoured through the sample?

A) B)

C) D)

32. Which graph best represents the relationshipbetween the surface slope of a dry, sandy soil andthe infiltration rate of rain?

A) less infiltration and more runoffB) less infiltration and less runoffC) more infiltration and more runoffD) more infiltration and less runoff

33. Compared to an area of Earth's surface with gentleslopes, an area with steeper slopes most likely has

A) A B) B C) C D) D

34. The columns A, B, C, and D shown below containequal volumes of sediment.

When an equal volume of water is added to eachcolumn, the greatest rate of infiltration will occur inwhich column?

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.

35. Why does water move very slowly downwardthrough clay soil?

A)

B)

C)

D)

36. The diagrams below represent four permeablesediment samples. The sediments are composed ofthe same material, but differ in particle size andsorting. Which sediment sample will most likelyhave the fastest groundwater infiltration rate?

A) runoff and erosionB) precipitation and infiltrationC) deposition and burialD) solidification and condensation

37. Which processes are most likely to cause a rise inthe water table?

38. Base your answer to the following question on thediagrams below, which show two soil cross sectionsfrom adjacent fields in Nebraska. Both soils are thesame except that human activities have removed thevegetation from the surface of field B. Each field hasbeen receiving rain for several hours.

A) Transpiration would decrease.B) Runoff would increase.C) Erosion would increase.D) Water infiltration would increase.

Which change would most likely result fromreplanting vegetation in field B?

A) runoff B) saturationC) infiltration D) precipitation

39. The diagram below is a cross-sectional view of rainfalling on a farm field and then moving to the watertable.

Which word best describes the movement of therainwater through zone A?

A) unsaturated and impermeableB) unsaturated and permeableC) saturated and impermeableD) saturated and permeable

40. Most infiltration of precipitation will occur when theEarth's soil is