Clemson Geology 1010 Exam 4 Questions With Correct Answers

CLEMSON GEOLOGY 1010 EXAM 4 QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS 2026-2027

Groundwater: why should we care? - CORRECT ANSWER -
YOU MUST have this resource to survive



hydrologic cycle - CORRECT ANSWER -ocean = biggest reservoir (1,000,000 units)

2nd largest = glacier (26000 units)

3rd largestE= ground water (15000 units)



runoff - CORRECT ANSWER -
water that runs across the landscape and eventually ends up in a river or stream and continuesEt
o move downstream



infiltration - CORRECT ANSWER -water soaks INTO ground, becomes part of ground water supply



porosity - CORRECT ANSWER -
The percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces



Types of pores - CORRECT ANSWER -Intergranular Pores

Fractures

Vugs



Intergranular Pores - CORRECT ANSWER -"between grains"

open spaces in between particles

-MOST groundwater is stored here



Fractures - CORRECT ANSWER -
rocks have lots of cracks, they can be pathways for water or water can build up in them

,vugs - CORRECT ANSWER -opening in the rock, like a big hole

-*caves are basically big vugs*

-not very common



Well sorted = - CORRECT ANSWER -high porosity



poorly sorted = - CORRECT ANSWER -low porosity



cementation - CORRECT ANSWER -
natural cement to glue the particles together, filling in all the little cracks

-more cement = less porosity



permeability - CORRECT ANSWER -
whether or not the material lets water through, how easy water will flow through material



Water Table - CORRECT ANSWER -the level where you go from saturated to unsaturated



Aquifer - CORRECT ANSWER -any layer of material that contains a usable water supply

-below the water table

-recover for human use via wells



types of aquifers - CORRECT ANSWER -unconfined

confined

perched

,unconfined - CORRECT ANSWER -
there is nothing above your aquifer that is goingEto restrict the water



aquitard - CORRECT ANSWER -confining layer below the unconfined aquifer, very impermeable



confined - CORRECT ANSWER -
aquitard above and below ("sandwiched"), makes it complicated bc water cant soak down into a
quifer to replenish



artesian well - CORRECT ANSWER -
the idea that the water pressure in the confined aquifer will push the water up for you

-you need the water table to be shoved up into a hillside/elevated --> creates a ton of pressure



Perched - CORRECT ANSWER -smaller ones that develop in a hillside

-impervious layer halfway down the hill, so water gets stuck on top

-relatively small, pretty advantageous bc it gives you a second water source



Recharge - CORRECT ANSWER -how much water flows back into the aquifer



Discharge - CORRECT ANSWER -how much water flows out of the aquifer, pumping or flowing



if recharge > discharge - CORRECT ANSWER -water table rises



overdrafting - CORRECT ANSWER -losing water supply, taking out a lot, not enough back in



if recharge < discharge - CORRECT ANSWER -overdrafting

, cone of depression - CORRECT ANSWER -
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




depressing level of water table around the well due to fast pumping
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




-when the tip of the cone gets below the well, it won't work anymore
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




-pumping at a slower rate will fix this issue X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




subsidence -ECORRECT ANSWER - X2 X2 X2




groundsinking above aquifer, sediments trickle down into pore space, blocks water X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




-
almost impossible to reverse the problem bc porosity is gone and water can no longer infiltrate t he w
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




ell



salinity contamination - CORRECT ANSWER -salt water contamination in aquifer
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




-the more you pump from the aquifer, the more salt can get in
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




desalinization - CORRECT ANSWER - X2 X2 X2 X2




process for sucking salt back out of water, treating it, and then filtering (COSTLY!!!)
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




Ground water movement - CORRECT ANSWER -X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




typically moves very slowly (sometimes measure in cm per day)
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




-

good: water doesn't rapidly flow away from your well ba
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




d: if contaminated, it'll be there for a while
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




groundwater carries dissolved substances - CORRECT ANSWER -CO2 and SO2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2




-these dissolve carbonate rocks
X2 X2 X2




-causes a lot of sink holes X2 X2 X2 X2 X2