Water Extraction

Question 1

Define groundwater:

Answer 1

Water hold under ground in soil/pores/crevices in rocks

Question 2

Define water table:

Answer 2

The level below which the ground is saturated with water

Question 3

Define abstraction:

Answer 3

Taking water from a ground source

Question 4

Define recharge

Answer 4

Water moves downwards from surface water to groundwater

Question 5

Define syncline:

Answer 5

A fold in rocks where rock layers dip inwards from both sides

Question 6

Define artesian pressure:

Answer 6

Water reaches ground surface under natural pressure of aquifer

Question 7

Define aquifer:

Answer 7

Permeable rock which contains groundwater

Question 8

Define potentiometric surface:

Answer 8

An imaginary surface that shows the level water would rise to if it weren’t trapped in an aquifer

Question 9

Define water extraction

Answer 9

Removal of water from surface/groundwater to meet demand

Question 10

What is the case study for water extraction?

Answer 10

River Kennet

Question 11

Where is the River Kennet?

Answer 11

Southern England

Wiltshire

Question 12

River Kennet drainage basin:

Answer 12

1 200km^2

Question 13

Geology of River Kennet

Answer 13

Highly permeable chalk

Question 14

Effect of extraction rate on river flow:

Answer 14

14% reduction in river flow

Question 15

What are the advantages of the River Kennet flow?

Answer 15

Flows through chalk so is filtered, high oxygen levels

Question 16

Impact of oil and gas exploitation on water cycle:

Answer 16

Removal of vegetation

Increased run off due to melting permafrost

Question 17

Impact of oil and gas exploitation on carbon cycle:

Answer 17

Dust deposition increases sunlight absorption
Increase in decomposition
Tundra -> 7-40 tonnes CO2 loss per year

Question 18

Strategies to reduce impacts on water/carbon cycle

Answer 18

Insulated pads
Elevated pipelines
Lateral drilling (oil and gas cab be reached from further)
More powerful computers
Refrigerated support

Question 19

How many tonnes of carbon and released into the atmosphere from groundwater extraction annually?

Answer 19

13.5 million tonnes