Multiple Choice/True-false (Knowledge/Recall/Comprehension)
1. The hydrologic cycle refers to
A) all forms of precipitation,
B) the flow of water to the surface of the earth as in springs,
C) the recharge of groundwater by precipitation,
D) the continuous circulation of earth's water supply,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
D
2. The energy that drives the water cycle comes from _____.
A) the earth's own internal heat,
B) the sun,
C) the energy of rotation, combined with the Coriolis effect,
D) the heat energy created by friction as the earth spins upon its
axis,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
B
3. A hidden type of energy in the atmosphere that drives many atmospheric processes is _____.
A) kinetic energy,
B) radiational energy,
C) latent heat energy,
D) sensible heat energy,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
C
4. The process whereby water vapor becomes solid
water (ice) is called ____.
A) sublimation,
B) vaporization,
C) condensation,
D) freezing,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
5. The process whereby ice (solid water) becomes a water vapor is called ____.
A) sublimation,
B) vaporization,
C) condensation,
D) freezing,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
6. The process whereby a liquid water becomes ice (solid water) is called ____.
A) sublimation,
B) vaporization,
C) condensation,
D) freezing,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
D
7. The process whereby water vapor becomes liquid
water is called ____.
A) sublimation,
B) vaporization,
C) condensation,
D) freezing,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
C
8. The general term for the transfer of moisture from the earth's surface to the atmosphere is _____.
A) evapotranspiration
B) vaporization
C) evaporative cooling
D) dew point,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
9. The higher latitudes receive much less intense insolation than tropical zones, and experience much less evapotranspiration because of _____.
A) the higher specific heat of water,
B) the greenhouse effect,
C) the angle of incidence of the sun's rays,
D) albedo,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
C
10. Water is unusual in the earth's environment because no other common substance occurs in _____.
A) solid form
B) liquid form
C) gaseous form
D) all three forms in the atmosphere
feedback
D
11. The simplified Hydrological (water) Cycle traces the pathways of water from its source in the greatest storehouse of water, the ______, to the ______, then to the _______, and then by runoff back to the _______.
A) ocean, atmosphere, land, ocean,
B) atmosphere, ocean, land, atmosphere,
C) land, atmosphere, ocean, land,
D) ocean, land, atmosphere, ocean,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
12. The vast majority of the world's water is located in ____.
A) rivers and streams,
B) lakes,
C) groundwater,
D) oceans,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
D
13. Of all of the world's fresh water, most can be found in ____.
A) glaciers,
B) rivers,
C) lakes,
D) ground water deposits,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
14. The term "hydrosphere" describes one of the Earth's major environmental spheres. It includes _____.
A) all of the water above and below the continents,
B) all of the fresh water on the planet,
C) all of the liquid water on the earth,
D) all of the water on the planet,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
D
Multiple Choice/True-false, Open Format (Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation)
15. Evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean not only mobilizes the water, but stores heat as latent heat, which can later be released by condensation to help power storms.
True or False
feedback
True
16. Which of these is not true about water?
A) water has a great heat capacity,
B) water is chemically inert,
C) water is the only natural earth material that is a liquid at room
temperature,
D) the solid form of water, ice is less dense than the liquid form
of water,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
B
17. The specific heat of water is greater than that of land. This means _____.
A) water is warmer than land,
B) land is warmer than water,
C) water heats and cools more slowly than does land,
D) land heats and cools more slowly than does water,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
C
18. The potential energy gained by evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean is used up as flowing water does work on the landscape as the water flows back to the surface of the ocean.
True or False
feedback
True
19. Potential evapotranspiration is _____.
A) usually not as great as actual evapotranspiration
B) very small when the atmosphere is warm
C) usually about the same as actual evapotranspiration
D) can never be exceeded by actual evapotranspiration,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
D
20. A diagram of the water budget system (Thornthwaite system) for a dry area or a semi-arid area would show the largest deficit to be during late summer (August-September), when ____.
A) the PET is very high and the AET and precipitation are very low,
B) the PET, precipitation, and the AET are very low,
C) the PET (potential evapotranspiration), precipitation, and the AET
(actual evapotranspiration) are all about the same,
D) the PET, precipitation, and AET are all very high,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
21. If an area receives less water in a year than can potentially be evaporated away during the same time, it will be an arid area. Arid regions of the world occupy more territory than any other climate grouping - what do people in these areas do to make up this water deficit?
A) they can sometimes make it up by drilling into and pumping out of
groundwater reservoirs,
B) they can trap water from a time of surplus, such as the spring,
save the water in reservoirs and use it later in the summer during times
of deficit,
C) they can irrigate using "exotic" rivers - those that arise in well-watered
territory and then flow through the arid regions,
D) they can adjust crops and lifestyles to make do with the amount
of water they DO receive,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
E
22. Essay/Demonstration: Discuss the most likely
Thornthwaite water budget for your area. Take all sources of water and
all uses of water into account; determine if your area is humid or dry,
and to which degree.
(Evaluation rubric: This essay should produce
evidence that the student is aware of his/her surroundings. They should
demonstrate an awareness of timing of precipitation events during the year,
temperature extremes, and other pertinent climatic data. The essay should
make connections between the general and theoretical (Thornthwaite's budget)
and the specific (the students locality.) The student should be able to
locate appropriate information to back up their analysis, and they should
be able to communicate their interpreted water budget in clear language.)
23. Essay/Demonstration: Design a scientific experiment to illustrate the principles of the Thornthwaite water budget in the classroom. Use an aquarium or other convenient water container, a fan, a heat lamp, and a thermometer. Design and run several experiments to determine what controls evapotranspiration. Discuss your results.
(Evaluation rubric: This project is purposefully stated in vague terms. Students should by this point in their development be able to design an experiment. They should know about variables, controls, the scientific method, recording and charting data and so on. They should be evaluated on the basis of their experimental design, as well as the results. Unlike a canned experiment, this one should engender ownership. At a minimum, they should determine that wind speed and duration, and heat (the fan and the heat lamp) control the rate of evapotranspiration. Their results and discussion should mention that evapotranspiration can be increased with increased temperature and increased wind speed. The students should be able to relate their results to the "real world." Particularly clever students could also come up with the less obvious factors, air density, relative humidity and so on. The should also be able to discuss the consequences of high evapotranspiration to local crops, gardens, lawns, people, and animals)
Multiple Choice/True-false (Knowledge/Recall/Comprehension)
24. In general terms, ocean currents closely follow the global circulation system pattern.
True or False
feedback
True
25. Although wind is the chief initiator of ocean currents, there are other causes. Density differences in seawater, caused by _____, can result in currents.
A) salinity or pressure,
B) salinity or temperature,
C) temperature or pressure,
D) pressure or temperature,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
B
Multiple Choice/True-false, Open Format (Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation)
26. Because of deflection of ocean currents by continents, large "gyres" or rotating masses of water are present in the world's major oceans. In the Northern Hemisphere, these gyres rotate to the ____ because the Trade Winds and the Westerlies push them.
A) left,
B) right,
C) both of these,
D) neither one of these
feedback
B
27. Cold currents, such as the Humbolt current off of the west coast of South America, often bring nutrients to tropical latitudes.
True or False
feedback
True
Multiple Choice/True-false (Knowledge/Recall/Comprehension)
A) is guaranteed to come once every 100 years,
B) is the largest flood you can expect on any stream or river,
C) cannot be predicted with only 50 years of stream-flow data,
D) always causes mass destruction,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
F
29. Many insurance companies and municipalities use the ____ year floodplain as a standard. This means that no new buildings or new insurance policies will be allowed in the area likely to be covered during this event.
A) 20,
B) 50,
C) 100,
D) 500,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
C
30. Flood gauges on most major streams and rivers
are maintained by _____.
A) the United States Waterworks Division,
B) the United States Hydrological Survey,
C) the United States Geological Survey,
D) the national Flood Prevention Program,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
C
31. The discharge formula for a river is Discharge = Width X Depth X Velocity. Essentially this formula is looking at the velocity of water ____.
A) as it varies with depth,
B) as it passes through a cross-sectional area,
C) as it varies with time,
D) as it varies with the width of the stream,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
B
Multiple Choice/True-false, Open Format (Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation)
32. Many urban areas are adjacent to streams and waterways, a fact that puts them at risk for flood damage. If this is so dangerous, why do the communities stay where they are?
A) mostly this is due to historical settlement patterns as people settled
where there was easily obtainable water for drinking and irrigation, and
where they could use waterways for transportation,
B) early settlers didn't know any better, and their descendents are
simply stubborn,
C) it was the only land available at the time,
D) fishing was good next to the waterways, and fish provided a major
source of food,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
33. The 50-year flood has ____ of occurring in any one year.
A) 50 chances out of 100,
B) 1 chance out of 50 of occurring in any one year,
C) a 50-50 chance of occurring in any one year,
D) a zero chance,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
B
34. Essay/Demonstration: Write an essay outlining your communities relationship to water. Do you have too much? Not enough? Is a blessing? A curse? Interview a city or county engineer or planning official and get their perspective. If you can do so without being obtrusive, find out what flood insurance is available and what it costs in your community.
(Evaluation rubric: This essay activity is designed to bring home to the student the reality of water and the hydrosphere in our daily lives. They should discover that water can be both a blessing and a curse, that we cannot live without it, and sometimes it is difficult to live with it. This is particularly effective in areas of water shortage. Students should be able to obtain the necessary data on their own, and assemble a well-written, professional report. Some of the data should come from the Internet, other data from local sources, and some from books.)
Multiple Choice/True-false (Knowledge/Recall/Comprehension)
35. The term "Biomass" refers to _____.
A) the total mass of dead plant and animal material that has accumulated
on the ocean bottom,
B) the total mass of living matter that any one particular environment
can support,
C) the biological waste materials from food processing operations,
D) the weight of biological organisms that can float in sea water,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
B
36. Phytoplankton concentrations are much higher in equatorial waters than polar latitudes.
True or False
feedback
False
37. Even though the oceans of the world cover approximately 70% of the surface, most life in the oceans is concentrated _____.
A) close to continental coasts and in the upper few meters of the water,
B) in the depths of the oceans far from the influence of land,
C) in the upper few meters in the centers of the gyres,
D) close to continents at great depths,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
Multiple Choice/True-false, Open Format (Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation)
38. Pigment concentrations shown on satellite images are correlated with phytoplankton concentrations. These satellite data indicate that concentrations are highest in _____.
A) the Northern Hemisphere in the summer,
B) the Northern Hemisphere in the winter,
C) the Southern Hemisphere in the winter,
B) the Southern Hemisphere in the summer,
E) All of these,
F) None of these
feedback
A
39. Phytoplankton are important to people because _____.
A) a healthy population of phytoplankton indicates that the oceans are
in good shape,
B) plankton form the basis of the ocean food chain,
C) humans rely more and more on fish protien, and fish, in turn, depend
upon a food chain beginning with plankton,
D) All of these,
E) None of these
feedback
D
40. Essay/Demonstration: Write an essay discussing the concept of "oceanic deserts." Use terrestrial deserts as your analogy, drawing on information from phytoplankton concentrations.
(Evaluation rubric: This essay activity
is designed to encourage students to think about old concepts in new ways.
Deserts are familiar, at least in concept, to most students. This essay
asks them to think about deserts with a different definition that is normal
- life based rather than precipitation and temperature based. Students
should be able to obtain the necessary data on their own, and assemble
a well-written, professional report. Some of the data should come from
the Internet, other data from local sources, and some from books.)