Describe the problem associated with pumping groundwater for irrigation in parts of the High Plains
What will be an ideal response?
The High Plains are a relatively dry region extending from South Dakota to western Texas. The natural recharge of the aquifer is very slow, and the problem of declining groundwater levels is acute, as this aquifer accounts for about 30 percent of all groundwater withdrawn for irrigation in the country. In years of average or below-average precipitation, recharge is negligible in the aquifer. Therefore, where intense irrigation has been practiced for an extended period, depletion of groundwater can be severe. The USGS estimates that during the past 60 years, water in storage in the High Plains aquifer declined by about 200 million acre feet (65 trillion gallons), with 62 percent of the total decline occurring in western Texas.
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Brownfields are
A. deep-well injection sites. B. state-of-the-art landfills. C. surface impoundments. D. abandoned industrial and commercial sites. E. above-ground waste storage sites.
The tradition of urban design that has imposed more uniformity on the big cities of the world than any other is
A) the Beaux Arts style. B) the Modern movement. C) the International Style. D) the Global Village style. E) McDonaldization.
The initial consequence of falling water tables would be the loss of ________
A) trees that do best with low precipitation B) mammals that thrive in dry habitats C) birds that live in upland areas D) agricultural irrigation water E) deep lakes
Early in the 18th century, Thomas Malthus recognized the connection between human population growth and ________
A) decreasing birth rates B) increasing death rates because of the effects of Industrial Revolution C) the geographical size of the country D) resource availability E) increasing medical issues leading to high mortality