Geology & Hydrology Terms: Groundwater, Aquifers, Soil, Weathering, Minerals, Water Supply, Quizzes of Geology

Download Geology & Hydrology Terms: Groundwater, Aquifers, Soil, Weathering, Minerals, Water Supply and more Quizzes Geology in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Humboldt Current DEFINITION 1 Shuts off ever 5 years for unknown reasons. When this happens the west coast of South Africa gets massive floods. Also called El Nio. TERM 2 Saturated Zone DEFINITION 2 AKA Phreatic Zone.Volume of rock or soil area immediately above the impermeable material that is water-saturated; all pores contain water. TERM 3 Unsaturated Zone DEFINITION 3 AKA Vandose ZoneRock or soil area aove the saturated zone. Some/all pores contain air. TERM 4 Porosity DEFINITION 4 Amount of pore space in rocks. TERM 5 Permeability DEFINITION 5 Ability to transmit water through the pore space TERM 6 Ground Water DEFINITION 6 Water in the phreatic zone TERM 7 Water Table DEFINITION 7 Boundary between the phreatic and vadose zones. Usually underground but doesn'tnecessarilyhave to be. TERM 8 Gaining Stream DEFINITION 8 Where ground water enters the stream.Ex: Ground water flows in East of the Mississippi River TERM 9 Losing Stream DEFINITION 9 Where the water flows from the stream and enters the ground waterEx: Ground water flows out West of the Mississippi River TERM 10 Aquifer DEFINITION 10 An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be extracted using a water well. TERM 21 Potentiometric Surface DEFINITION 21 Level to which water will rise in a well TERM 22 Specific Consequences of Water Withdrawal (From an Aquifer) DEFINITION 22 Compaction Subsidence/Faulting Salt Water Intrusion Loss of Recharge TERM 23 Compaction DEFINITION 23 As water is pumped out of pores spaces the rock can compact. This results in a permanent loss of porosity and permeability. This is permanent and leads to subsidence. TERM 24 Subsidence/Faulting DEFINITION 24 When rock compact the ground lowers and then faults. TERM 25 Salt Water Intrusion DEFINITION 25 Takes place in coastal zones where as the fresh water is pumped out the salt water level increases. Eventually you begin pumping salt water. TERM 26 Loss of Recharge DEFINITION 26 As recharge areas become developed less water can enter the aquifer. TERM 27 Us Vs. Consumption DEFINITION 27 Use: Use then put backConsumption: Use then don't put back TERM 28 How to Extend the Water Supply DEFINITION 28 Conservation Transfer Desalination TERM 29 Soil DEFINITION 29 Unconsolidated material that hasn't been transported and was produced via the mechanical and chemical breakdown of bedrock TERM 30 Weathering Types DEFINITION 30 Mechanical and Chemical TERM 31 Mechanical Weathering DEFINITION 31 Physical process that breaks down rocks TERM 32 Chemical Weathering DEFINITION 32 Dissolution; Rocks breakdown when exposed to water and hydrogen TERM 33 Top Soil DEFINITION 33 Organic Matter mixed with with rocks and minerals TERM 34 Zone of Leaching DEFINITION 34 Area where water picks up minerals and carries them further downward TERM 35 Zone of Accumulation DEFINITION 35 Area where new minerals form via precipitation from the water that comes from the zone of leaching TERM 46 Ore Deposit Types DEFINITION 46 Igneous Hydrothermal TERM 47 Kimberlite Pipes DEFINITION 47 Formed at supersonic speeds; Crystallized carbonDiamonds TERM 48 Hydrothermal DEFINITION 48 Cooling intrusions apply heat and make liquid on the crust convect. As waters heat up they become mineralizers and deposit concentrations of minerals in certain areas. TERM 49 Epithermal DEFINITION 49 Shallow subsurface where minerals are dumped. Mostly contains gold. TERM 50 Skarns DEFINITION 50 Limestone interacts with mineralizers and intrusion and minerals are concentrated. Mostly contains copper, lead and zinc. TERM 51 Veins DEFINITION 51 A crack in the crust that has concentrations of minerals deposited in it. Contains copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold. TERM 52 Porphyries DEFINITION 52 The intrusion cracks and has minerals deposited in cracks. Mostly contains copper. TERM 53 Massive Sulfide DEFINITION 53 Occurs in mid-ocean ridges where black smokers release hot mineralizers. Minerals separate from water as it cools are are deposited on the ocean floor. Mostly contains copper, lead and zinc. TERM 54 Laterites DEFINITION 54 Develop in tropical climates in high temperatures and heavy rainfall so they are severly leached. TERM 55 Extending the Ore Supply (3 things) DEFINITION 55 Conservation Substitution (metal for plastic) Recycling TERM 56 Impacts of Mining DEFINITION 56 Visual Chemical TERM 57 Accumulation (Hydrocarbon Deposits) DEFINITION 57 A large volume of organic debris must accumulate rapidly to prevent oxidizing. TERM 58 Preservation (Hydrocarbon Deposits) DEFINITION 58 Bury quickly to prevent oxidization (opposite of oxidization in reduction) TERM 59 Maturation (Hydrocarbon Deposits) DEFINITION 59 break down of large complex organic molecules into smaller, simpler organic molecules TERM 60 Cracking DEFINITION 60 When refineries take medium hydrocarbons and mature them.This is because there is a lack of light hydrocarbon. TERM 71 Drawbacks to Coal DEFINITION 71 Principle greenhouse gas source acid rain gas non versatile, can't be used for transportation dirty/solid waste. huge environmental impact due to extraction TERM 72 Fission DEFINITION 72 Split atoms; make several smaller nuclei and release energy TERM 73 Fusion DEFINITION 73 Combine smaller nuclei into one large nucleus & release energy (about a million times more energy released than fission)Not feasible right now. TERM 74 Parts of a Reactor Core DEFINITION 74 Fuel Rods Water Control Rods TERM 75 Neutron Moderation DEFINITION 75 Slows the fast neutrons down TERM 76 Neutron Poisoning DEFINITION 76 The breaks of the system TERM 77 Why did Chernobyl fail? DEFINITION 77 Human errorThe reactors all have graphite control rods TERM 78 Advantages of Nuclear Waste Disposal DEFINITION 78 No carbon footprint Plentiful Warm water is all that gets discharged TERM 79 Disadvantages of Nuclear Waster Disposal DEFINITION 79 Unsafe Huge amounts of heavy, hot and dangerous waste Preferred way of storage is underground How do we move the heavy contains from point A to Point B? TERM 80 Passive Solar Energy DEFINITION 80 Winter: Collect sun/heat during the day; reradiate @ nightSummer: collect cool night air, close up at dawn TERM 81 Active Solar Energy DEFINITION 81 Roof Top panels; heat and circulate hot H2O TERM 82 Solar Thermal DEFINITION 82 larger scale, collects sun, focus, heat H2O TERM 83 Solar Electric DEFINITION 83 Directly converts sunlight into electricityLow efficiency TERM 84 Drawbacks of Solar Energy DEFINITION 84 Storage: Tough to store the energy Dispersed over the whole Earth Site specific Solar energy panels are toxic and can't be tossed in a landfill TERM 85 Geothermal Drawbacks and Advantages DEFINITION 85 Drawbacks Site Specific: can't be done anywhere Finite life Advantages No CO2 coming out Collects gold as a by-product