27.3 Flashcards
Infiltration
The process by which water enters Earth and becomes groundwater below the surface.
Water table
Upper boundary of saturated zone.
Aquifer
A rock unit that can transfer water through pore space.
Porosity
The percentage of a materials 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 stored as ground water.
What is precipitation?
When water vapor in the air cools and condenses; rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
What is runoff?
Water running off the land surface
What is infiltration?
The process by which water enters Earth and becomes groundwater below the surface.
What is transpiration?
When plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves
What is evaporation?
When water enters the atmosphere as water vapor
What is condensation?
When water vapor collides with other water vapor molecules to form water droplets
What is the water cycle?
Water on the land that goes into the atmosphere and returns back to the ground.
What is an unsaturated zone for groundwater storage?
A porous area where water passes easily
What is a saturated zone for groundwater storage?
Beneath the unsaturated zone, where water completely fills the pore space
What is a water table?
The upper boundary of the saturates zone
What does it mean if sediment is permeable?
It means that the material can be infiltrated by water or pass through
What is an aquifer?
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?
South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas
What is an aquitard?
Keeps water confined, shale layers are good examples.
How are water springs formed?
Springs form where the water table naturally meets Earth’s surface
What is an artesian wall?
Is when we drill into a pressurized aquifer most of the time it will be an aquitard
What is a cone of depression?
As water is pumped out of the ground, the direction that flows is directed down towards the week, creating a cone of depression
