6. Hydrogeology Flashcards
What is the difference between porosity and permeability?
Porosity is the amount of void space in a rock; permeability is the ability of fluids to flow through it.
What is an aquifer?
A rock layer that can store and transmit groundwater.
What law governs groundwater flow?
Darcy’s Law.
What is a confined aquifer?
An aquifer trapped between two impermeable layers.
What is the term for groundwater recharge?
The process of water infiltrating and replenishing an aquifer.
What is an artesian well?
A well where water flows naturally due to pressure in a confined aquifer.
What is the difference between a gaining and losing stream?
A gaining stream receives water from groundwater; a losing stream loses water to the subsurface.
What is hydraulic conductivity?
A measure of how easily water can move through a porous material.
What is a cone of depression?
A lowering of the water table around a pumping well.
What is saltwater intrusion?
The movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers due to over-pumping.
