Chapter 17 E3 - Groundwater Flashcards
largest freshwater reservoir for humans that is EASILY accessible
groundwater
dissolving by groundwater produces
sinkholes and caverns
include all the places that water is stored in and on the earth
reservoirs
what is the effect called where mountains, wind, rain, and oceans are involved
the rain shadow effect
the upper limit of the zone of saturation
water table
the water table roughly follows
topography
what is another type of water table
perched water table where there is an aquiclude of impermeable rock underneath it
percentage of pore spaces; determines how much groundwater can be stored
porosity
ability to transmit water through connected pore spaces
permeability
an impermeable layer of material
aquitard
a permeable layer of materal
aquifer
porosity depends on
the sorting of the grains, packing, and grain shape; well sorted grains have more porosity
Darcy’s law
Q=A(K x h/1)
volume of water = cross sectional area of flow (permeability x vertical drop/flow distance)
water is heated by the geothermal gradient
warm springs
water is heated by the cooling of igneous rock
hot springs
intermittent hot springs; water turns to steam and erupts
geysers
pumping can form a _____ in the water table
cone of depression
water in the well rises higher than the initial groundwater level
artesian wells
an inclined aquifer can produce an
artesian well; good model for coastal plain of georgia
in the freshwater seawater boundary the pressure of ______ keeps _____ offshore
freshwater
saltwater
groundwater is often mildly
acidic; contains a weak carbonic acid
formed by dissolving rock at or near earth’s surface; common features are sinkholes (surface depressions) , sinkholes formed by dissolving bedrock and cavern collapse, caves, and caverns; area lacks good surface drainage
karst topography
