Groundwater

Question 1

Water table

Answer 1

Upper limit of zone of saturation where water is stored

Question 2

Unsaturated zone (vandose)

Answer 2

Area above the water table where pore spaces are not completely filled with water and cannot be pumped by Wells

Question 3

Gaining stream

Answer 3

Streams that gain water through the stream bed from an influx of groundwater. Happens when the elevation of the water table is higher than the elevation of stream

Question 4

Losing stream

Answer 4

Streams that lose water through an outflux of water when the water table elevation is below stream elevation

Question 5

Porosity

Answer 5

The volume of open poor space where water can be stored

Question 6

Permeability

Answer 6

The ability of a material to transmit fluid. Shows how well pore spaces are connected

Question 7

Aquitards

Answer 7

Impermeable layers of rock that prevent water from flowing through them (clay)

Question 8

Aquifer

Answer 8

Permeable layers of rock that transmit groundwater flow freely

Question 9

Hydraulic gradient

Answer 9

The slope of water gradient

H1-H2/distance between

Question 10

Hydraulic conductivity

Answer 10

Describes how flow of water through aquifer varies depending on permeablity and viscosity of fluid

Question 11

Spring

Answer 11

Whenever a water table intersects the earths surfaces and creates body of water

Question 12

Drawdown

Answer 12

Whenever the water level of water table is lowered due to the pumping of Wells

Question 13

Cone of depression

Answer 13

Result of a draw down

Conically shaped depression in water table

Question 14

Artesian

Answer 14

Any situation where groundwater rises above level of aquifer (from pressure)

Question 15

Confined aquifer

Answer 15

An aquifer that is in between two aqutards creating pressure allowing water to rise to well