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Groundwater

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Term
Definition
Groundwater   All the subsurface water trapped in the pores and other open spaces in rocks, sediments and soils; .75% of total water available for use and 30.1% of fresh water resources; movement averages a few meters per day, slower than streams; used for irrigation  
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Pores   Groundwater is stored in open spaces in rocks  
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Porosity   The percentage of a material's total volume that is open space (%)  
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Permeability   The capacity to transmit fluids; open spaces must be connected for fluid to move. This is necessary if we are to produce water from rocks; Dependent on porosity, but also on the size of the pores and their interconnections  
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High Permeability   Higher flow rates; small grains usually produce low permeability; Conduits produce high permeability; Large grains without clay and silt matrix tend to have excellent permeability  
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Aquifer   A permeable underground rock layer saturated with slowly moving groundwater.  
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Sandstones   The best aquifers are well-sorted, loosely & cemented, capillary pressure helps to hold the water  
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Aquiclude   A non-permeable layer that prevents the flow of water. Ex: clay or shale layers  
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Confined aquifer   An aquifer with an aquiclude above and below  
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Phreatice Zone (Zone of Saturation)   The region of groundwater where all pore spaces are filled with fluids  
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Vadose Zone (Zone or Aeration)   The region of groundwater where most pore spaces are filled with vapor (unsaturated zone)  
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Suspended Water   Water that is in the vadose zone as a result of adhesion to grain boundaries and capillary pressure  
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Water Table   A planar surface which occurs at the top of the phreatic zone, level fluctuates with precipitation, infiltration, etc.  
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Water Table Dynamics   In areas with adequate precipitation, the water table surface will mimic land surface, rising under hills, and flowing down to streams or areas of lower pressure  
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Gaining Streams   Have water flowing to the stream from the ground; these stay around despite recent precipitation  
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Losing Streams   Have water leaving the channel and infiltrating the ground; these only run for a few hours after precipitation event  
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Natural Springs   Where flowing water exits the ground; occurring at locations where the landscape intersects the water table; water can be flowing along beds of rock or through faults and fractures in the rock  
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Artesian Aquifers   Confined aquifers that have constant pressure and recharge; only need a well to get water  
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Elevation of the Water Table   In the recharge area and the distance from this area will determine the pressure = how high the water will rise  
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Water Wells   Wells that penetrate into the water table in an aquifer and either flow naturally or/and pumped to bring water to the surface  
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Cone of Depression   When pumping water from an aquifer at a rate higher than the groundwater is flowing back into the aquifer; then the water will flow towards the well forming this  
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Recharge Zone   Where surface water infiltrates the ground and replenishes the aquifer; surface water recharge is from rainfall, melting snow & losing streams; can take 1000's of years to replenish some aquifers  
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Karst Topography   Denotes a landscape that is dominated by soluble rock (limestones, dolomites, gypsum) and dissolution features in humid environments  
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Sinkholes   Either dissolution or collapse  
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Solution Valleys   Coalescing sinkholes  
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Natural Bridges   Remaining land between sinkholes  
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Disappearing Streams   Underground conduits for water  
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Tower Karst   Extensive dissolution  
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Caves and Caverns   Underground features associated with groundwater; these form when acid water dissolves limestone below the surface slowly creating voids in the rock; gradually grow larger and larger forming themselves  
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Speleothems   These are features in caves; such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns and drapery formations  
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Cave   Any natural opening in the subsurface that forms a cavity large enough for human entry; Texas definition: void must at least be 5 meters in traverse length & have no dimension of entrance that exceeds length or depth  
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Cavern   Very large cave or system of interconnected caves passages  
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Grotto   Small cave or an individual room within a cavern  
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Krubera Cavern   Deepest cave in the world; water percolates through deep faults and fractures formed by orgenic stresses, these are accentuated through dissolution of limestone  
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Cave of Crystals   Cavern found in a lead, zinc, & silver mine; Giant gypsum crystals that are growing in a fluid filled cavity; a giant geode  
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Caves in Quartzite   Caves formed over millions of years form by fracturing & dissolution of quartz; Ridges rise up from the valley floors, covered in vegetation; requires help of organic acids; speleothems formed from opal  
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Quicksand   Sand or other unconsolidated sediment that is super saturdated with water, such that grains are buoyantly held away from one another;  
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Quicksand Occurs at:   Groundwater discharge zones Upward flow of groundwater Springs, streamboats, coasts **High density but highly visocous  
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Tufa   Surface carbonate speleothem formed by the precipitation of mineral entering atmospheric conditions, result of: Degassing, Change in temp, Interaction w/ biota; Similar to: Silica Dioxide & Calcium sulfate  
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Hydrothermal fluids   Groundwater that is heated above the average annual mean temperature, as a result of: Volcanism, radioactive decay, Deep-circulation (geothermal gradient)  
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Hot Springs   AKA Thermal & warm springs; Thermal waters are brought to the surface and discharged, usually as artesian waters; mudpots can form when thermal water alters bedrock to produce hydrated clays that "bubble"  
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Geysers   Hot springs that eject water & steam; constricted permeability (conduits) enable pressure to build up within system; as pressure increases, gases spontaneously expand to forcefully eject water and steam  
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Water Quality   Extraction can result in a decrease in water quality as a result of increased leakage from surrounding area  
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Subsidence   Lowering of the regional land surface due to grain compaction as a result of the loss of buoyant support as a result groundwater extraction  
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Collapse   Local lowering of the land surface, often catastrophically, as a result of the loss of buoyant support as a result of groundwater extraction  
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Groundwater Contamination   Sources of potential anthropogenic groundwater contamination abound; Ex: Septic tanks, landfills, waste injection wells, Toxic chemical disposal, cemetaries, etc.  
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Groundwater Quality   General related to 4 things: Composition of aquifer rock Solubility of aquifer rock Residence time of aquifer fluid External contaminents  
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Hard water   Water that has a high dissolved solute load, which is often associated with scale deposition  
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Severe health problems   Can develop from high levels of natural minerals such as arsenic (slow poison that can cause cancer)  
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