Department of Soil Resource and Watershed Management

Hydrology multiple choice questions for Exit Exam Preparation

1. What is the main process by which water from the Earth's surface enters the atmosphere?
A) Precipitation B) Transpiration C) Evaporation D) Infiltration
2. Which of the following processes involves the movement of water from the soil surface into the
ground?
A) Percolation B) Transpiration C) Surface runoff D) Condensation
3. Which of the following is the primary source of groundwater?
A) Rivers B) Lakes C) Precipitation D) Ocean tides
4. What do you call the flow of water that occurs when excess storm water, meltwater, or other
sources flows over the Earth's surface?
A) Infiltration B) Percolation C) Surface runoff D) Transpiration
5. Which of the following is NOT a component of the hydrological cycle?
A) Evaporation B) Infiltration C) Pollution D) Precipitation
6. Which of the following is a major storage reservoir for freshwater on Earth?
A) Oceans B) Lakes C) Glaciers D) Rivers
7. What is the primary source of water for the hydrological cycle?
A) Oceans B) Rivers C) Lakes D) Atmosphere
8. Which term refers to the continuous exchange of water between the earth and the atmosphere?
A) Hydrologic cycle B) Water table C) Groundwater flow D) Aquifer
9. What is precipitation?
A) The process of water vapor condensing into liquid water
B) The movement of water from plants to the atmosphere
C) Any form of water, liquid or solid, falling from the atmosphere to the ground.
D) The absorption of water into the soil
10. Which geographic area is most likely to receive orographic precipitation?
A) Deserts B) Plains C) Coastal regions D) Mountain ranges
11. What is "convective precipitation"?
A) Precipitation that occurs due to the lifting of air over a mountain
 B) Precipitation that occurs when warm air rises, cools, and condenses
C) Precipitation that occurs from the collision of warm and cold air masses.
D) Precipitation that occurs in a low-pressure system.
12. Which of the following is NOT a form of precipitation?
A) Rain B) Snow C) Hail D) evaporation
13. Which instrument is commonly used to measure the amount of precipitation?
A) Anemometer B) Barometer C) Hygrometer D) Rain gauge
14. Which form of precipitation involves small ice crystals that form in high-altitude clouds and
fall to the ground?
A) Hail B) Rain C) Snow D) Sleet
15. What is "acid rain"?
A) Rain that contains high levels of sulfuric and nitric acids
B) Rain that falls during volcanic eruptions
C) Rain with a pH level above 7
D) Rain that occurs in tropical regions
16. Which of the following is NOT a means of water losses in the hydrological cycle?
A) Evaporation B) Transpiration C) Precipitation D) Infiltration
17. What term is used for the loss of water from soil due to evaporation and plant uptake?
A) Runoff B) Evapotranspiration C) Infiltration D) Condensation
18. Which technique is used to measure actual evapotranspiration from a field?
A) Soil moisture sensor B) Weather station C) Lysimeter D) Rain gauge
19. Which condition would most likely decrease the infiltration rate of soil?
A) High soil moisture content B) Dry soil C) Sandy soil D) High organic matter content
20. What happens to the infiltration rate over time during a prolonged rainfall event?
A) It increases B) It decreases C) It remains constant D) It fluctuates
21. Which type of soil has the lowest infiltration capacity?
A) Sand soil B) Clay soil C) Loam soil D) Silt soil
22. What is the instrument used to measure the rate of infiltration
A) Hygrometer B) Anemometer C) Infiltrometer D) Barometer
a device used to measure atmospheric moisture.
23. What is runoff?
A) The infiltration of water into the soil
B) The evaporation of water from surfaces
C) The flow of water over or below the land surface
D) The absorption of water by plants
24. Which process describes the movement of runoff into rivers, lakes, and oceans?
A) Percolation B) Transpiration C) Surface runoff D) Infiltration
25. What is a common method to manage and reduce runoff in agricultural fields?
A) Deforestation B) Contour plowing C) Removing vegetation D) Increasing impervious surfaces
26. Which of the following best describes the relationship between rainfall intensity and runoff?
A) As rainfall intensity increases, runoff decreases
B) As rainfall intensity decreases, runoff increases
C) As rainfall intensity increases, runoff increases
D) There is no relationship between rainfall intensity and runoff
27. How does soil compaction affect runoff?
A) Increases infiltration and decreases runoff
B) Decreases infiltration and increases runoff
C) Has no effect on infiltration or runoff
D) Enhances soil structure and reduces runoff
28. Which one of the following is not climatic factors of runoff?
A) Type of precipitation B) Intensity of precipitation
C) Duration of precipitation D) Type of soil
29. What is an aquifer?
A) A body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater B) A type of fossil fuel
C) A large underground reservoir of oil D) A solid, impermeable layer of rock
30. Which of the following best describes a confined aquifer?
A) It is open to the surface and receives water directly from infiltration
B) It is sandwiched between two impermeable layers
 C) It has no water
D) It is only found in mountainous regions
31. What is the process by which groundwater is replenished called?
A) Transpiration B) Recharge C) Discharge D) Condensation
32. Which factor does not affect the rate of groundwater flow?
A) Hydraulic gradient B) Porosity C) Permeability D) Color of the soil
33. What is groundwater?
A) Water found on the surface of the Earth C) Water stored in glaciers
B) Water located underground D) Water vapor in the atmosphere
34. What is a spring?
A) A device used to pump water from the ground
B) A natural outlet where groundwater flows to the surface
C) A type of well used for irrigation
D) A geological formation that traps water underground
35. Which one of the following is mostly describe a well?
A) A type of Underground River
B) A hole drilled or dug into the ground to access groundwater
C) A natural spring D) A type of aquifer
36. What is the term for the process by which water seeps into the ground?
A) Evaporation B) Transpiration C) Condensation D) Infiltration
37. Which of the following factors does NOT directly affect the rate of evaporation?
A) Temperature B) Wind speed C) Solar radiation D) Soil composition
38. What is the main source of energy driving the hydrological cycle?
A) Earth's core B) The Sun C) Wind D) Ocean currents
39. What term describes the total amount of water lost from the soil through evaporation and plant
transpiration?
A) Precipitation B) Evapotranspiration C) Runoff D) Infiltration
40. Which type of rainfall occurs when moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range?
A) Convective rainfall B) Cyclonic rainfall C) Orographic rainfall D) Frontal rainfall
41. What is the primary purpose of a hydrograph?
A) To measure groundwater levels B) To record the amount of precipitation
C) To show the variation of streamflow over time D) To indicate the depth of the water table
42. Which of the following is a method to artificially recharge groundwater?
A) Deforestation B) Overgrazing C) Rainwater harvesting D) Industrial pollution
43. What is the primary cause of river flooding?
A) Low precipitation B) High rates of evaporation
C) Excessive rainfall and runoff D) Lack of vegetation
44. Which of the following is the main reason for constructing dams?
A) To increase soil erosion B) To control water flow and store water for various uses
C) To decrease biodiversity D) To enhance evaporation rates
45. Which hydrological process involves the movement of water through the soil profile to the
groundwater table?
A) Percolation B) Surface runoff C) Transpiration D) Evaporation
46. _______ is precipitation in the form of water droplets of size less than 0.5mm diameter.
A) Rain B) Drizzle C) Hail D) Snow
47. A 150-ha catchment having weighted coefficient of 0.34 and rainfall intensity is 100mm/hr.
what is runoff rate (Q) in m3/s?
A) 5100 m3/s B) 14.17 m3/s C) 1836000 m3/s D. All
48. Which of the following is a primary factor that affects the infiltration rate of soil?
A) Soil texture B) Atmospheric pressure C) Solar radiation D) Wind speed
49. What is the main factor that influences the rate of evaporation from a water body?
A) Water temperature B) Soil type C) Atmospheric pressure D) Water salinity
50. Which factor does NOT significantly affect the rate of evapotranspiration?
A) Wind speed B) Solar radiation C) Air temperature D) Soil pH