27.3 & 27.4 Flashcards
Infiltration
Process by which water enters earth and becomes groundwater, controlled by topography, surface materials, and type and amount of vegetation.
Water table
The upper boundary of the saturated zone in an aquifer.
Aquifer
Rock unit that can store water and transfer it through its pore space.
porosity
Percentage of a materials total volume of pore space, calculated by dividing total volume of pore space by the total volume of the material.
Absolute dating
Process of assigning a numerical age to organisms, objects or events.
Relative dating
process of placing objects or events in order in time according to which occurred or formed first, second, and so on.
uniformitarianism
states that the law of nature operate today as they have in the past.
Principle of superposition
states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the youngest rock will be at the top and the oldest will be at the bottom.
unconformity
Gap in the rock record representing a time during with exposed rock was eroded before new layers were deposited.
fossil
Remains or traces of ancient organisms found in the geologic rock record.
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?
Majority is found in glaciers
Where is the smaller percentage of freshwater found?
Lakes, rivers, and ground water
What is precipitation?
Rain, snow, sleet, and hail
What is runoff?
Water runs off land surface
What is infiltration?
Water enters earth and becomes groundwater
What is transpiration?
When plants release water vapor into the atmosphere
What is evaporation?
When water enters the atmosphere as water vapor
What is condensation?
When water vapor collides with other water molecules
What is the water cycle?
Where freshwater moves from the land to the atmosphere and back to the land
What is an unsaturated zone for groundwater storage?
A porous area where water easily passes through
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 saturated zone
What does it mean if sediment is permeable?
The more permeable it is the easier for water to pass through it
What is an 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 plain 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?
Layer that doesn’t let water pass through
How are water springs formed?
Springs form where the water table naturally meets earths surface
What is an artesian well?
Drill into pressurized aquifer
What is a cone of depression?
Where the water flows is a direction down toward the well
