27.3 Flashcards
Define Infiltration
The process by which water enters Earth and becomes groundwater below the surface.
Define Water table
The upper boundary of the saturated zone.
Define Aquifer
A rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space.
Define porosity
The percentage of the material’s total volume that is pore space.
What percentage of water on Earth is salt water?
97%
What percentage of water on Earth is freshwater?
3%
Where is the majority of freshwater found?
Glaciers
Where is the smaller percentage of freshwater found?
lakes,rivers, and ground water
What is precipitation?
When water vapor cools and condenses
What is runoff?
Water runs off the land surface
What is infiltration?
The process by which water enters Earth and becomes ground water below the surface.
What is transpiration?
When plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves.
What evaporation?
When water enters the atmosphere as water vapor
What is condensation?
When water vapor collide with other water vapor molecules to form water droplets
What is the water cycle?
The process in which water
What is an unsaturated zone for groundwater storage?
Below the surface a porous area where water easily passes through
What is a saturated zone for groundwater storage?
Beneath the saturated zone, where water completely fill the pore space
What is a water table
The top layer of the saturated zone.The more permeable the material is the easier water can infiltrate through the ground
What does it mean if a sediment is permeable?
It means that water can easily pass through.What is an aquifer?
What is a aquifer?
A rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space.
What is the name of the Great Plains Aquifer?
Ogallala Aquifer
How many states does the Great Plains Aquifer run through?
8 states
What are the names of the states that the Great Plains Aquifer runs through?
South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas
What is an aquitard?
Keeps water confined.
How are water springs formed?
They form where the water table naturally meets Earth’s surface
What is an artesian well?
Wells drilled into a pressurized aquifers
What is a cone of depression?
The direction that the water flows is directed down toward the well, creating a cone of depression.
