Water Beneath the Surface Flashcards
What is the Zone of Saturation?
Area where water fills open spaces in sediment and rock.
Below water table
What is Groundwater?
A water that is within the Zone of saturation (the floor and dirt beneath the water)
What is water table?
Upper level of saturation zone of groundwater.
How does groundwater move?
Moves by:
twisting and turning through interconnected small openings.
moves more slowly when pore spaces are smaller.
What is porosity?
Percentage of pore space
Determines how much groundwater is stored
What is Permeability?
Ability to transmit water through connected pore spaces.
(Ex. Aquifers as permeable rock layers/sediments that transmit groundwater freely)
How are springs formed?
Whenever water table intersects ground surface.
What are hot springs?
Water is 6-9 (nice) degrees C warmer than mean air temp.
Water heated by cooling igneous rock.
What are Geysers?
Intermittent (irregular) hot springs
Water turns to steam and erupts
What is a well?
A hole bored into the zone of saturation.
What is an Artesian Well?
A well in any formation that causes groundwater to rise on its own under pressure.
What does pumping out water cause?
Drawdown (lowering)) of the water table
Can form cone of depression in water table
What is caused by the withdrawal of groundwater?
Land subsidence
What is a cavern (cave)?
Naturally formed underground chamber
(erosion forms most caverns at or below the water table in the zone of saturation)
What are the characteristics of features found within caverns?
Formed from calcite deposited as dripping water evaporates
common features include:
Stalactites (ceiling)
Stalagmites (floor)
