GEO 101 Unit 4 Exam – UWL Actual
study set with Questions and
correct/verified Answers
What is hydrology? - ANSWER-The science of how water moves, in relation to the land surface and
subsurface
Where is the majority of water located? - ANSWER-Oceans
Water will always follow the _____(1)_______ to _____(2)_______. - ANSWER-1. Path of least resistance
2. Base Level
What does base level refer to? - ANSWER-The ocean, or larger group of water.
EXAMPLE: stream to the river
What is infiltration? - ANSWER-absorption and movement of water into soil
What is porosity? - ANSWER-Measure of how much soil is open space
What is permeability? - ANSWER-The ease of the movement of water through the soil
When a pore size is larger, what does it mean in terms of soil moisture controls? - ANSWER-Greater
infiltration rates
Greater permeability
Lower holding capacity (water drains away)
What type of soil has larger pore sizes? - ANSWER-Sandy Soil,
Larger grains
Greater Porosity
Higher infiltration rates
When a pore size is smaller, what does it mean in terms of soil moisture controls? - ANSWER-Lower
infiltration rate
Lower permeability
higher holding capacity
What type of soil has smaller pore sizes? - ANSWER-Clayey or silty soil,
Smaller grains
Lower porosity
Lower infiltration rate
high holding capacity
What is ground water? - ANSWER-Water infiltrates soil layer downward into the zone of saturation
What is the zone of saturation? - ANSWER-the layer in the aquifer where all the pores are filled with
water
The zone of saturation allows for _______________. - ANSWER-Groundwater recharge
What is the zone of aertion? - ANSWER-The zone were there is water and air in the pores
What is the water table? - ANSWER-the top of the zone of saturation
, What is an aquifer? - ANSWER-Saturated rock or sediment that had high permeability
What is an aquitard? - ANSWER-rock or sediment with low permeability
What is the difference between an aquifer and an aquitard? - ANSWER-An aquifer has high permeability
and the aquitard does not.
What is surface runoff? - ANSWER-Water that does not infiltrate into soil and flows across the surface
What can surface runoff cause? - ANSWER-Soil erosion and can transfer contamination
What is overland flow? - ANSWER-Precipitation rate is greater than the infiltration rate
How can surface runoff and erosion be reduced? - ANSWER-By dense vegetation covers,
lots of organic matter on and in the soil
low soil moisture
What is slopewash erosion? - ANSWER-The overland flow carries particles down the slope, the raindrop
impact supplies most eroded material.
What does the overland flow and slopewash erosion produce? - ANSWER-Rills and Gullies
What are rills? - ANSWER-small, temporary channels produced by surface runoff
What are gullies? - ANSWER-Rills that coalesce to form larger, longer-lasting channels
What is a stream? - ANSWER-moving water, with a bed and banks
What are examples of streams? - ANSWER-River, Brooks, and creeks
What is the riparian zone? - ANSWER-Biological habitat surrounding a stream
What is fluvial geomorphology? - ANSWER-The study of rivers and the landscapes they form
All streams are trying to ____(1)_________ to _____(2)__________. - ANSWER-All streams are trying to
ERODE to BASE LEVEL.
What makes up a drainage basin? - ANSWER-Overland flow, Rills, Gullies, Streams
Overland flow is also known as... - ANSWER-Sheetflow
What is the drainage network? - ANSWER-A network of connected stream channels
What is a drainage basin? - ANSWER-Upstream area that supplies water to a particular point in the
drainage network
Smaller drainage basins are ____(1)_______ within _____(2)______ larger basins. - ANSWER-Smaller
drainage basins are NESTED within LARGER basins.
What are continental divides? - ANSWER-Highlands and mountain ranges that separate drainage basins.
What are the five base levels North America flows to? - ANSWER-Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of
Mexico, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean
What the continental divides in North America? - ANSWER-Great, Northern, Eastern, St. Lawrence
Seaway
What is the stream discharge? - ANSWER-volume of water flowing past a point in a given period of time
What does stream gauges measure? - ANSWER-River stage (height) and discharge
What does the stream gauge generate? - ANSWER-A hydrograph
What is a hydrograph? - ANSWER-Plot of stream discharge vs. time
What is the laminar flow? - ANSWER-Parallel motion within a stream
study set with Questions and
correct/verified Answers
What is hydrology? - ANSWER-The science of how water moves, in relation to the land surface and
subsurface
Where is the majority of water located? - ANSWER-Oceans
Water will always follow the _____(1)_______ to _____(2)_______. - ANSWER-1. Path of least resistance
2. Base Level
What does base level refer to? - ANSWER-The ocean, or larger group of water.
EXAMPLE: stream to the river
What is infiltration? - ANSWER-absorption and movement of water into soil
What is porosity? - ANSWER-Measure of how much soil is open space
What is permeability? - ANSWER-The ease of the movement of water through the soil
When a pore size is larger, what does it mean in terms of soil moisture controls? - ANSWER-Greater
infiltration rates
Greater permeability
Lower holding capacity (water drains away)
What type of soil has larger pore sizes? - ANSWER-Sandy Soil,
Larger grains
Greater Porosity
Higher infiltration rates
When a pore size is smaller, what does it mean in terms of soil moisture controls? - ANSWER-Lower
infiltration rate
Lower permeability
higher holding capacity
What type of soil has smaller pore sizes? - ANSWER-Clayey or silty soil,
Smaller grains
Lower porosity
Lower infiltration rate
high holding capacity
What is ground water? - ANSWER-Water infiltrates soil layer downward into the zone of saturation
What is the zone of saturation? - ANSWER-the layer in the aquifer where all the pores are filled with
water
The zone of saturation allows for _______________. - ANSWER-Groundwater recharge
What is the zone of aertion? - ANSWER-The zone were there is water and air in the pores
What is the water table? - ANSWER-the top of the zone of saturation
, What is an aquifer? - ANSWER-Saturated rock or sediment that had high permeability
What is an aquitard? - ANSWER-rock or sediment with low permeability
What is the difference between an aquifer and an aquitard? - ANSWER-An aquifer has high permeability
and the aquitard does not.
What is surface runoff? - ANSWER-Water that does not infiltrate into soil and flows across the surface
What can surface runoff cause? - ANSWER-Soil erosion and can transfer contamination
What is overland flow? - ANSWER-Precipitation rate is greater than the infiltration rate
How can surface runoff and erosion be reduced? - ANSWER-By dense vegetation covers,
lots of organic matter on and in the soil
low soil moisture
What is slopewash erosion? - ANSWER-The overland flow carries particles down the slope, the raindrop
impact supplies most eroded material.
What does the overland flow and slopewash erosion produce? - ANSWER-Rills and Gullies
What are rills? - ANSWER-small, temporary channels produced by surface runoff
What are gullies? - ANSWER-Rills that coalesce to form larger, longer-lasting channels
What is a stream? - ANSWER-moving water, with a bed and banks
What are examples of streams? - ANSWER-River, Brooks, and creeks
What is the riparian zone? - ANSWER-Biological habitat surrounding a stream
What is fluvial geomorphology? - ANSWER-The study of rivers and the landscapes they form
All streams are trying to ____(1)_________ to _____(2)__________. - ANSWER-All streams are trying to
ERODE to BASE LEVEL.
What makes up a drainage basin? - ANSWER-Overland flow, Rills, Gullies, Streams
Overland flow is also known as... - ANSWER-Sheetflow
What is the drainage network? - ANSWER-A network of connected stream channels
What is a drainage basin? - ANSWER-Upstream area that supplies water to a particular point in the
drainage network
Smaller drainage basins are ____(1)_______ within _____(2)______ larger basins. - ANSWER-Smaller
drainage basins are NESTED within LARGER basins.
What are continental divides? - ANSWER-Highlands and mountain ranges that separate drainage basins.
What are the five base levels North America flows to? - ANSWER-Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of
Mexico, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean
What the continental divides in North America? - ANSWER-Great, Northern, Eastern, St. Lawrence
Seaway
What is the stream discharge? - ANSWER-volume of water flowing past a point in a given period of time
What does stream gauges measure? - ANSWER-River stage (height) and discharge
What does the stream gauge generate? - ANSWER-A hydrograph
What is a hydrograph? - ANSWER-Plot of stream discharge vs. time
What is the laminar flow? - ANSWER-Parallel motion within a stream
