Groundwater as an erosional agent Flashcards
How does groundwater move through the Earth?
Through percolation
How does groundwater erode?
Largely by solution
What is the role of porosity in groundwater movement?
Measures of open space in a rock or grain of soil
What’s the role of permeability in groundwater movement?
Measures the connectedness of the pores between grains of soil or rock
What’s the difference between zone of aeration and zone of saturation?
Zone of aeration- is air between most of the grains
Zone of saturation- water between all of the pores
Why is Kentucky a karst area?
Because it haves lots of limestone
How does groundwater transport its load?
Through a dissolved load
How does groundwater deposit?
Through speleothems
What are some examples of groundwater deposit?
Stalactites, stalacmites, columns, flowstone, straws, and drapery
What is the possibility of polluting an artesian system?
Sewers, septic tanks, waste dumps, gas tanks, salt water contamination, fertilizers, pesticides, leafs, and biological waste products, vegatation (cutting of trees) , and soil
What’s an aquifer?
A body of rock with enough permeability to conduct water
What’s an aquiclude (confining layer)?
A rock unit that will not transmit water
What’s percolation?
When water moves down from the surface into the subsurface or slow movement of water through porous substances
What’s groundwater?
Subsurface water what moves in the zone of saturation
How is percolation controlled?
By porosity and permeability
What’s porosity?
A measure of open space in a rock, % of material that is porous
What’s permeability?
A measure of connectedness of pores between grains of soils or rock s
What’s an example of a substance with low porosity and low permeability?
Crystalline Igneous rock and glacial till
What’s an example of a substance with high porosity and high permeability?
Quartz sandstone
What’s an example of a substance with high porosity and low permeability?
clay-rich layer
What’s a watertable?
The surface that separates the unsaturated zone from the saturated zone
What’s the zone of aeration (unsaturated zone)?
Air between most of the grains
What’s the zone of saturation (saturated zone)?
Water between all of the pores
What’s an artesian well?
A well that flows naturally because of confined water and hydrostatic pressure
What’s a karst?
An area of solutional erosion and is rich in sinkholes
What’s speleothem?
Groundwater deposition as stalactites, stalacmites, columns, and flowstone
What leads to the deposition of speleothems (CaCo3)?
Evaporation of water
What secondary mineral(s) are deposited in a cave?
Calcite and gypsum (CaSO4)
What are some examples calcite speleothems?
Flowstone, drapers, columns, stalagmites, straws, stalactites
What are some examples gypsum speleothems?
Pointy things
