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PCS Earth Science
Chapter 10 Vocabulary - Groundwater
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| infiltration | the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil |
| porosity | the percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces |
| zone of saturation | location underground that the pores are filled with water; this area tries to maintain an equilibrium |
| zone of aeration | the upper portion of soil and rock that can be temporarily filled with water as the water enters the ground, but then moves deeper |
| water table | the level below which the ground is saturated with water |
| permeability | ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it |
| aquifer | a permeable layer of rock and sediment that stores and brings groundwater in enough quantities to supply wells |
| sinkhole | a circular depression formed when the roof of a cave collapses |
| karst topography | a type of landscape in rainy regions where there is limestone near the surface, characterized by caverns, sinkholes, and valleys |
| stalactite | a calcite deposit that hangs from the roof of a cave |
| stalagmite | a cone-shaped calcite deposit that builds up from the floor of a cave |
| geyser | a fountain of water and steam that builds up pressure underground and erupts at regular intervals |
| drawdown | a lowering of the groundwater level caused by over pumping |
| recharge | new water that enters the aquifer from the surface |
| artesian well | a well that brings pressured water to the surface without pumping |