Term | Definition |
Aquifer | Porous rock and sediment with water in between |
Capillary action | How water moves through porous media |
Recharge | The amount of water that is available to enter groundwater in a region |
Porosity | Small spaces between grains |
Permeable | Connections between pores |
Impermeable | A layer that does not have pores |
Water table | The upper surface where the groundwater reaches |
Spring | A source of water from the ground |
Well | Created by digging or drilling to reach groundwater |
Subsidence | The water table causes the ground surface to sink |
Remediation | the action of remedying something; reversing or stopping environmental damage |
Bioremediation | the use of micro-organisms to consume and breakdown environmental pollutants in order to clean up a polluted site |
What is groundwater? | water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock |
How does groundwater begin? | It begins as rain that seeps into the ground and fills the groundwater basins |
What is the cone of depression? | a dimple formed in the groundwater table around a well |
How is the cone of depression created? | It is due from water being pumped into the well |
Why would water treatment design engineers be interested in groundwater quality data? | To determine how much and which type of treatment is required |
Where is the 1% of freshwater located on Earth for human use? | Groundwater |
What type of precipitation most often soaks the ground and refills groundwater? | a gentle, long-lasting rain |
What causes the rate of groundwater movement to change? | The rock material through which the water is moving |
What is the best source of information about the quality of water in aquifers? | Wells |
What is the importance of an aquifer? | It holds uncontaminated ground water for human consumption |
Why do lakes, rivers, and streams require more treatment than groundwater? | They are exposed to a greater variety of contaminants |
During a drought, what happens when the water table dries while the aquifer remains nearly full? | The aquifer keeps it water level because of other sources of water |
What is the relationship between water stored in the ocean and water stored in groundwater? | Water from the ocean evaporates, condenses, and forms precipitation. It enters groundwater through the soil by infiltration and groundwater enters the ocean as discharge |
Why would a freshwater well near the ocean have saltwater in it? | The water in the aquifer is being used faster than it is naturally replenished and the ocean water in coming in to it. |
What could cause a well that has always worked perfectly to suddenly stop working? | A falling water table due to decreased precipitation over a long period of time |
What could you do to reduce the intrusion of saltwater into a fresh water underground source in a coastal region? | Conserve water by reducing consumption in homes, schools and businesses |