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runoff
water that flows along the surface and does not seep in to the ground
Zone of aeration
Undersaturated zone above the water table includes belt of soil moisture Water here cannot be pumped by wells
belt of soil moisture
water that holds on to soil particles in the near-surface zone
water table
the upper limit of the zone of saturation the contact between the one of aeration and the zone of saturation
Zone of Saturation
Water not held as soil moisture percolates downward Water reaches a zone where all of the open spaces in sediment and rock are completely filled with water
groundwater
water within pores
variations in water table
rainfall depth mimic above topography permeability
permeability
the ability of a substance to transmit fluid
Gaining streams
streams gain water from the inflow of groundwater through the streambed can be both gaining and losing
Losing streams
streams lose water to the groundwater system by outflow through the stream-bed Loosing streams may be disconnected from the GWT
aquifer
permeable rock strata or sediment that transmits groundwater freely Rock types that commonly act as aquifers include medium to coarse grained sandstones and gravels
aquitard
an impermeable layer that hinders or prevents water movement Shale and crystalline (igneous and metamorphic) rocks are good aquitards because water can not easily flow through them
Ogalla aquifer
shed off Rocky Mountains (SD to Tex) contains 950 trillion gallons of water main source of water for ag in high plains
springs
Occur where the water table intersects Earth’s surface Natural outflow of groundwater Can be caused by an aquitard creating a localized zone of saturation which is called a perched water table (separate from main groundwater table)
cave formation
usually limestone Groundwater that dissolves soluble rock below the surface will form caverns, also known as caves both living and dead caves living have balance between solution and dissolution dead stop interacting with groundwater
dripstone (tavertine)
Calcite deposited as dripping water evaporates Collectively, they are called speleothems
flowstone
massive deposits of travertine
Stalactites
hang from the ceiling
Stalagmites
form on the ground
soda straws
hollow tubes earliest growth of stalactites
columns
form when stalagmites and stalactites meet
curtains (or bacon)
thin sheets of travertine that hang from the ceiling or wall
shelfstone
limestone precipitates on the top of a pool of water creating a shelf, with a column underneath
boxwork
looks like boxes on ceiling
popcorn
looks like popcorn on rock formations
crystal formations
calcite aragonite gypsum
Karst topography
Dissolved limestone that is very close to the surface results in landscape features
sinkholes
When caverns form close to the surface, the roof may become unstable and collapse under its own weight creating a sinkhole major sources of water quality issues cause damage to homes and property
disappearing streams
streams running along the surface may be swallowed up into a sinkhole or a cave
natural bridges
remnants of a cave passage formed when sinkholes collapse on two sides not only way they can form
karst towers
last remnants of massive limestone layers that form enormous “towers” common in tropical regions where limestone is eroded quickly by rainfall
hot springs
water is heated by cooling of igneous rock below
geysers
Groundwater heats, expands, changes to steam, and errupts water erupts with great force within hot spring
Thermophiles
organisms that can survive (and thrive) in extreme heat environments
Darcy's Law
Q is discharge (volume of water flowing through area) K is hydroloic conductivity (quickly or slowly fluid flows through specific substance) A is cross sectional area h1 and h2 are hydrolic gradient ( water table slope)
porosity
the percentage of void, or pore space in a rock body
Intergranular porosity
due to spaces between grains Sandstones, claystones, conglomerates
bedding plane porosity
due to space between the bedding of rock layers Sedimentary rocks
fracture porosity
due to spaces along joint sets and fractures withing a rock All rock types
Solution (vuggy) porosity
due to cavities within the rock that have dissolved from mild acids Soluble rocks: Limestones, marble, rock salt, gypsum
drawdown
lowering of the water table from wells
cone of depression
from wells cone in top of groundwater table where the well is
groundwater pollution
sewage is most common problem fertilizers and pesticides industrial materials and chemicals landfills mine tailings

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