GEOLOGY

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EARTH SCIENCE

GROUNDWATER

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Large areas of Texas are made up of flat farm land covered by layers of soil. Underground, there is a large aquifer that stretches beneath most of the region. Over a period of many years, much of the water in the aquifer is removed through wells and used to irrigate crops. If the amount of precipitation does not increase over the same period of years, what effect could the irrigation of crops have on the aquifer?
A
The groundwater will decrease
B
The groundwater will increase.
C
The groundwater will stay the same.
D
The groundwater will expand.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and is a major aquifer of Texas underlying much of the High Plains region. The aquifer consists of sand, gravel, clay, and silt and has a maximum thickness of 800 feet.

Detailed explanation-2: -Groundwater is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers.

Detailed explanation-3: -Texas’ guiding principle for groundwater management has been the rule of capture. Adopted in a 1904 court ruling, this rule gives the landowner the right to capture an unlimited amount of groundwater by tapping into the underlying aquifer.

Detailed explanation-4: -The main source of groundwater is the rain. The rainwater and water from other sources such as rivers, lakes and ponds, seeps through the ground and fills the empty spaces between the soil and the rocks below the earth. Handpumps or tube wells are used to pump out ground water.

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