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CEE 428 > Midterm 1 Terminology > Flashcards

Midterm 1 Terminology Flashcards

1
Q

Porosity

A

The pore space of an aquifer is the spaces or voids between the solid material. The porosity of the aquifer is the volume of void space to the total volume, typically expressed as a percentage.

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2
Q

Moisture Content

A

the quantity of water contained in a material

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3
Q

Saturation

A

Saturated conditions occur when all of the voids, spaces, and cracks are filled with water. Unsaturated conditions occur when the voids, spaces, and cracks between soil, sand, gravel, or rock are filled with a combination of air and water.

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4
Q

Vadose Zone

A

Area where water content varies depending on weather

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5
Q

Capillary Fringe

A

The area where groundwater is drawn up into the pores or spaces in the sediment above the water table by capillary action

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6
Q

Saturated Zone

A

Area below the water table, contains groundwater

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7
Q

Water Table (Phreatic Surface)

A

Location where groundwater is at atmospheric pressure

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8
Q

Unconfined Aquifer (Water Table Aquifer, Phreatic Aquifer)

A

An aquifer that’s upper bound is the water table

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9
Q

Perched Aquifer

A

An aquifer that is above the zone of saturation, in the vadose zone

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10
Q

Confined Aquifer

A

An aquifer that’s upper bound has a confining layer that does not transmit water, and is under pressure

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11
Q

Artesian Aquifer

A

An aquifer that is confined between impermeable material that is under positive pressure. When a well is drilled into an artesian aquifer, water flows to the surface

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12
Q

Aquitard

A

Confining layer of an aquifer that leaks

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13
Q

Aquifuge

A

Confining layer of an aquifer that is impermeable but contains water (ex: clay)

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14
Q

Aquiclude

A

Confining layer of an aquifer that is impermeable and does not contain water

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15
Q

Lithography

A

Types of rock

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16
Q

Stratigraphy

A

Subsurface layers

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17
Q

Igneous Rock

A

Ex: granite. Hard, can see mineral grains

18
Q

Sedimentary Rock

A

Clastic Sedimentary (ex: sandstone) - formed by consolidation, possible porosity

Nonclastic sedimentary (Ex: limestone) - formed by precipitation

19
Q

Metamorphic Rock

A

Rocks formed from igneous and sedimentary rocks

20
Q

Primary Porosity vs Secondary Porosity

A

Primary: porosity that is present when the geologic layer was originally formed

Secondary: porosity formed by dissolution, fracturing

21
Q

Drift

A

Transport of material while materials are weathered by glaciers

22
Q

Till

A

Material transported by ice, unsorted

23
Q

Moraine

A

Material transported by ice, organized structures

24
Q

Drumlin

A

Oval or elongated hills believed to have been formed by ice

25
Q

Esker

A

Scraggly ridges made of sand and gravel deposited by glacial meltwater

26
Q

Outwash

A

Material transported by water, sorted by particle size (settle out by Stoke’s Law)

27
Q

Alluvial, fluvial deposits

A

Geologic material found in ancient river bottoms, tends to be coarser grained

28
Q

Lacustrine Desposits

A

Geologic material found in ancient lake bottoms, tends to be finer grained

29
Q

Soil Texture

A

12 soil texture classes, based on a soil texture triangle, which uses % of sand, silt, and clay to type the soil texture. Soil ranges also by particle size

30
Q

Soil Color

A 
Munsell Color System
Hue
 • R - red
 • YR - yellow red
 • Y - yellow
Value
 • darkness or lightness
Chroma
 • how clearly does the hue show
31
Q

Aquifer

A

A geological layer that contains and can transmit water

32
Q

Evapotranspiration vs Potential Evapotranspiration

A

Evapotranspiration is hard to estimate, as it depends on soil moisture, type of plants, sunlight, etc. If we assumed soil moisture is not a limiting factor (under conditions of unlimited water), ET = PET.

PET can also be estimated empirically, using the Blaney-Criddle of Thornthwaite Eqn’s

33
Q

Homogeneous Assumption

A

Hydraulic Conductivity does not change with position

34
Q

Heterogeneous Assumption

A

Hydraulic Conductivity changes with position

Different types of heterogeneity
• Layered
• Trending
• Discontinuous

35
Q

Isotropy

A

Hydraulic Conductivity is the same in the x and z direction

36
Q

Anisotropy

A

Hydraulic Conductivity is not the same in x and z directions

37
Q

Transmissivity

A

the ability of the aquifer to transmit groundwater throughout its entire saturated thickness

38
Q

Specific Storage

A

= volume of water that a unit volume of aquifer releases under a unit decline in piezometric head

39
Q

Storativity

A

specific storage in units of flow per unit width

40
Q

Specific Yield

A

water yielded from the dewatering of pores

41
Q

Flow Nets

A

Graphical depiction of equipotential lines (h = constant) and flow lines). Used in interpretation of numerical solutions, h = f(x,y,z,t)

CEE 428 (1 decks)

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