Engineering Geology Final Exam
Questions and Answers 100% PASS
Unsaturated Zone - CORRECT ANSWER-The area above the water table where
pores are mostly filled with air
Saturated Zone - CORRECT ANSWER-The area below the water table where
pores are filled with water
Capillary Fringe - CORRECT ANSWER-Separated the saturated and unsaturated
zones
Overland Flow - CORRECT ANSWER-The precipitation rate exceeds the
infiltration capacity of the ground
Interflow - CORRECT ANSWER-Horizontal movement of infiltrated water in the
unsaturated zone
Baseflow - CORRECT ANSWER-Groundwater that is being discharged into a
stream
Drainage Basin - CORRECT ANSWER-"an area of land that drains all the streams
and rainfall to a common outlet"-USGS
,-watershed, catchment basin, water/river basin
Streamflow - CORRECT ANSWER-Basic flow rate equation: Q=VA
-Q = flow rate, ft^3/sec
-V = water velocity, ft/sec
-A = cross-sectional area, ft^2
Hydrograph - CORRECT ANSWER--Graph showing the time (X) vs. rate of
flow, discharge, (Y) in a river, channel, or conduit
-Time plotted arithmetically
-Discharge may be plotted logarithmically or arithmetically, depending on range
-Units: ft^3/sec and m^3/sec
-Sometimes a stage hydrograph is used, where instead of rate, the gage height (or
stage) is plotted against time
Surface Water Problems - CORRECT ANSWER--flooding
-sedimentation
-erosion
-water quality
COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, Groundwater - CORRECT ANSWER-A vital resource that provides 2/3 of
freshwater resources:
1. drinking water for people and livestock
2. agriculture
3. industry
Porosity - CORRECT ANSWER-the total volume of an open space
Permeability - CORRECT ANSWER-the ease of water flow due to pore
interconnectedness
Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER-sediment or rock that transmits water easily
Aquitard - CORRECT ANSWER-impermeable or low permeability sediment or
rock that hinders water flow
Unconfined Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER-an aquifer that intersects the surface
-in contact with the atmosphere
-easily contaminated
Confined Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER-an aquifer beneath an aquitard
-isolated from the surface
-less susceptible to pollution
Darcy's Law - CORRECT ANSWER-An equation that predicts the volume of
water passing through an area of an aquifer at any given time
Questions and Answers 100% PASS
Unsaturated Zone - CORRECT ANSWER-The area above the water table where
pores are mostly filled with air
Saturated Zone - CORRECT ANSWER-The area below the water table where
pores are filled with water
Capillary Fringe - CORRECT ANSWER-Separated the saturated and unsaturated
zones
Overland Flow - CORRECT ANSWER-The precipitation rate exceeds the
infiltration capacity of the ground
Interflow - CORRECT ANSWER-Horizontal movement of infiltrated water in the
unsaturated zone
Baseflow - CORRECT ANSWER-Groundwater that is being discharged into a
stream
Drainage Basin - CORRECT ANSWER-"an area of land that drains all the streams
and rainfall to a common outlet"-USGS
,-watershed, catchment basin, water/river basin
Streamflow - CORRECT ANSWER-Basic flow rate equation: Q=VA
-Q = flow rate, ft^3/sec
-V = water velocity, ft/sec
-A = cross-sectional area, ft^2
Hydrograph - CORRECT ANSWER--Graph showing the time (X) vs. rate of
flow, discharge, (Y) in a river, channel, or conduit
-Time plotted arithmetically
-Discharge may be plotted logarithmically or arithmetically, depending on range
-Units: ft^3/sec and m^3/sec
-Sometimes a stage hydrograph is used, where instead of rate, the gage height (or
stage) is plotted against time
Surface Water Problems - CORRECT ANSWER--flooding
-sedimentation
-erosion
-water quality
COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, Groundwater - CORRECT ANSWER-A vital resource that provides 2/3 of
freshwater resources:
1. drinking water for people and livestock
2. agriculture
3. industry
Porosity - CORRECT ANSWER-the total volume of an open space
Permeability - CORRECT ANSWER-the ease of water flow due to pore
interconnectedness
Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER-sediment or rock that transmits water easily
Aquitard - CORRECT ANSWER-impermeable or low permeability sediment or
rock that hinders water flow
Unconfined Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER-an aquifer that intersects the surface
-in contact with the atmosphere
-easily contaminated
Confined Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER-an aquifer beneath an aquitard
-isolated from the surface
-less susceptible to pollution
Darcy's Law - CORRECT ANSWER-An equation that predicts the volume of
water passing through an area of an aquifer at any given time
