chapter 27.3 Flashcards
infiltration
the process by which water enters earth and becomes groundwater below the surface
water table
the upper boundary of the saturated zone
Aquifer
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space
porosity
the percentage of pore space volume
what percentage of water on earth is salt water
97%
what percentage of water on earth is fresh water
3%
where is the majority of freshwater found
in glaciers
where is the smaller percentage of fresh water found
found in lakes rivers and ground water
what is precipitation
when water vapor in the air cools and condenses, a few forms of precipitation is rain, and snow
what is runoff
water running 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 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 land that enters the atmosphere and then comes back to the land
what is the unsaturated zone for ground water storage
a porous area where water easily passes through
what is a saturated zone for ground water storage
all the pore space is completely filled by water
what is a water table
the upper boundary of the saturated zone the more permeable the sediment is the easier it is for the water to infiltrate the ground
what does it mean if sediment is permeable
the more permeable sediment is the easier water can pass through
what is an aquifer
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore spaces
what is the name of the great plains aquifer
ogallala Aquifer
how many states does the great plains Aquifer run through
8
what are the names of the states that the ogollala aquifer runs through
south Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, new mexico, and Texas
what is an aquitard
where water is confined
how are water springs formed
form where a water table naturally meets earths surface
what is an artesian well
wells drilled into pressurized aquifers
what is a cone of depression
the direction that the water flows towards the well
