Tag: science & technology

Quizzes (551) Questions (11015)

Questions Related to science & technology

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

Stream erosion and deposition are controlled primarily by a river's:

  1. velocity

  2. gradient

  3. channel shape

  4. discharge
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

River velocity directly determines the energy available to erode and transport sediment. Higher velocity increases erosion capacity and carries larger particles, while lower velocity leads to deposition. Gradient, channel shape, and discharge influence velocity but are secondary factors.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

The transfer of water among various reservoirs in the Earth system is:

  1. the hydrologic cycle

  2. hydrologic transfer mechanism

  3. water table

  4. none of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The hydrologic cycle describes the continuous movement of water between atmosphere, land, oceans, and living organisms through processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. It's the fundamental mechanism for water transfer in Earth's system.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

The headwaters of a stream are always located:

  1. at the terminus of the stream where it enters another body of water

  2. at the source of the stream

  3. along the longitudinal profile of the stream

  4. all of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Headwaters are the upstream beginning or source of a stream, typically located at the highest elevation where water first accumulates to form a channel. The terminus where a stream enters another body is the mouth, not the headwaters.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

The largest drainage basin in the continental United States is:

  1. The Missouri River drainage basin

  2. The Columbia River drainage basin

  3. The Arkansas River drainage basin

  4. The Mississippi River drainage basin
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Mississippi River drainage basin is the largest in the continental US, covering over 1.2 million square miles across 31 states and including major tributaries like the Missouri and Ohio Rivers. The Columbia and Arkansas are smaller systems.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

A stream's discharge is:

  1. the volume of water passing a fixed point per unit time

  2. the product of a stream's velocity and channel cross-sectional area

  3. influenced by channel width and depth, stream gradient, channel shape, and channel roughness

  4. all of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Discharge comprehensively includes all these aspects: the volume per time definition (A), the calculation method (B), and the influencing factors (C). Discharge equals velocity times cross-sectional area, affected by width, depth, gradient, shape, and roughness.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

In the United States, the standard unit of discharge used by the United States Geological Survey Water Resources Division is:

  1. cubic meters per second

  2. liters per minute

  3. cubic feet per second

  4. meters per second
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The USGS uses cubic feet per second (cfs) as the standard unit for stream discharge in the United States. Cubic meters per second is the international standard, but US federal agencies use cfs for domestic measurements.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

Hydraulic action, solution, and abrasion are all examples of:

  1. stream erosion

  2. stream deposition

  3. stream transportation

  4. stream discharge
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Hydraulic action (force of moving water), solution (chemical dissolution), and abrasion (particle grinding) are the three primary mechanisms by which streams erode their channels and transport sediment. Deposition is the opposite process.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

Cobble-sized particles are most likely to be transported as part of a stream's:

  1. suspended load

  2. bed load

  3. dissolved load

  4. Cobbles are too large to be transported by streams
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Cobble-sized particles (64-256mm) are too large to be suspended and instead travel as bed load, rolling, sliding, or bouncing along the streambed. Suspended load carries silt and clay; dissolved load contains minerals in solution.