GEO 155 Groundwater and Fluvial Movements Past Paper

# GEO 155 Groundwater and Fluvial movements ## 1. Groundwater movement **Discuss the questions and note down the important terms for each topic.** **What factors influence the movement of groundwater through an aquifer, and how does this impact water availability?** - Gravity (causes water to g...

# GEO 155 Groundwater and Fluvial movements ## 1. Groundwater movement **Discuss the questions and note down the important terms for each topic.** **What factors influence the movement of groundwater through an aquifer, and how does this impact water availability?** - Gravity (causes water to go down) - Porosity of the rock - Storage - Permeability - The ability of water moving through a material - Saturated zone / Unsaturated zone - Water table - Aquifer ## 2. Subsidence **How does excessive groundwater extraction lead to subsidence, and what are the potential consequences of this phenomenon?** - Excessive removal - Subsidence (gradual sinking of the Earth's surface) - Land slides - Flooding ## 3. High Plains Aquifer **Why is the High Plains Aquifer, also known as the Ogallala Aquifer, significant, and what challenges does it face due to human activity?** - Largest in the USA - 8 States - Importance - Agriculture - Domestic use - Challenge - Excessive pumping - Water levels gone down is a risk ## 4. Drainage System **Order the streams in this drainage basin and discuss what determines the density of a drainage system.** | Stream order | Number of streams| |---|---| | 1 | 16 | | 2 | 5 | | 3 | 2 | | 4 | 1 | ## 5. Glacial Landforms: Cirque, Moraine, and Tarn ### 5.1. Tarn **How is a tarn created within a glacial landscape?** - Tarns are formed when glaciers melt and leave behind depressions that form in cirques. - Filled with water. **What role does a tarn play in local ecosystems?** - Tarns support diverse ecosystems by providing a fresh water habitat and affecting local vegetative growth. **Provide an example of a tarn and its location.** - Example: Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia National Park, Wales. ### 5.2 Cirque **Describe how a cirque is formed.** - When a glacier erodes a bowl-shaped depression on a mountainside, through plucking (ice freezing on rock then breaking apart). **What environmental significance does a cirque have in its ecosystem?** - Important because the accumulation of snow is often sources of freshwater in mountains. **Identify a well-known cirque and provide its location.** - Cirque de Gavarnie - Pyrenees, France ### 5.3 Moraine **Explain the formation process of a moraine.** - The process of a moraine is when glaciers push, dump, or squeeze loose rock material, and when glacial ice melts. **What does the presence of a moraine indicate about a region's glacial history?** - The presence of a moraine indicates that the region was once covered by glaciers. **Give an example of a moraine and its location.** - Kettle Moraine - Wisconsin.