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chap 10 vocab
vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| infiltration | process in which precipitation that has fallen on land surfaces enters the ground and becomes ground water |
| zone of saturation | region below earths surface where all the pores of a material are completely filled with ground water |
| water table | upper boundary of the zone of saturation that rises during wet seasons and drops during dry periods |
| zone of aeration | region above the water table where materials are moist but pores contain mostly air. |
| permeability | ability of a material to let water pass through is high material with large wellconnected pores nad low in material with few pores or small pores. |
| aquifer | permeable underground layer through which groundwater flows relatively easily. |
| aquiclude | impermeable layer that is a barrier to groundwater such as silt clay and shale. |
| spring | natural discharge of groundwater at earths surface where an aquifer and an aquiclude come in contact |
| hot spring | thermal spring with temperatures higher than that of the human body |
| geyser | explosive hot spring that erupts regularly |
| cave | a natural underground opening connected to earths surface usually formed awhen groundwater dissolves limestone. |
| sinkhole | depression in earths surface formed when a cave collapses or bedrock is dissolved by acidc rain or moist soil |
| karst topography | irregular topography with sinkholes sinks and sinking streams caused by groundwater dissolution of limeestone |
| stalactite | cone shaped or cylindrical dripstone deposit of calcium carbonate that hangs like a icicle from a caves ceiling. |
| stalagmite | mound shpaed dripstone deposit or calsium corbonate that forms on a caves floor beneath a stalactite. |
| well | deep hole drilled or dug into the ground to reach a reservoir. |
| drawdown | difference between the eater level in a pumped well and the original water table level. |
| recharge | process by which water from precipitation and runoff is added to the zone of saturation |
| artesian well | fountain of water that spurts above the land surgace whe na well taps a deep confined aquifer containing water under pressure. |