Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
C H E C K Y O U R U N D E R S T A N D I N G
1.
What is the soil-water belt, and how do the terms
hygro-
scopic water
,
capillary water,
and
field capacity
relate to
this term?
7.
What is a cone of depression, and how is it related to
declining water tables in places like the Great Plains?
8.
Why are many streams going dry in places where
aggressive extraction of groundwater occurs?
2.
What is the unsaturated zone, and where is it located in
the groundwater model?
9.
Why are modern landfills more environmentally safe
than unregulated disposal sites of years past?
3.
What role does an aquiclude play in the formation of a
saturated zone?
10.
What is karst topography, and how do caves evolve?
4.
Why do sandy and gravelly deposits make good aquifers?
11.
How does the formation of a sinkhole relate to the
process of land subsidence and the formation of tower
karst?
5.
Describe the relationship among topography, the water
table, and the development of natural lakes.
6.
Describe the physical geography of the High Plains
Aquifer.
ANSWERS TO VISUAL CONCEPT CHECKS
V I S u A L C O N C E P T C H E C k 1 5 . 1
The answer to this question is
a
. The shoreline represents the place where the ground level meets the
local water table. Such a natural lake exists when depressions dip below the level of the water table.
V I S u A L C O N C E P T C H E C k 1 5 . 2
The answer to this question is
d
. The local water table was much higher at some point in the past. This
cave formed when carbonate rocks dissolved when the water table was higher. After the water table
fell, the cave was left behind.
