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35 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What represents the largest volume of freshwater found on Earth? |
ice sheets and glaciers |
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In the __________, groundwater fills the pore space. |
zone of saturation |
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The water table __________. |
surface is a subdued version of the surface topography |
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A __________ is separated from the groundwater system by the unsaturated zone. |
losing stream (disconnected) |
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the amount of pore spaces, or voids, within the rock – places that water can fill |
Porosity |
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High porosity means |
the rock can hold large amounts of water |
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Permeability |
how connected the pore spaces are to one another |
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High permeability means |
that the pores the rock bodys are well connected so water can move easily underground |
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How does the water table change around a pumping water well? |
decreases |
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What is the cone of depression? |
the shape that the water table takes on near a pumping well |
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When will a cone of depression stop enlarging? |
when the amount of water flowing toward the well equals the amount of water being pumped out of the well |
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When might a well, Well A, go dry? |
when the cone of depression of a second well intersects the deepest part of Well A |
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An artesian system is present when groundwater __________. |
under pressure rises above the aquifer level |
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A __________ is located where the pressure surface is above the aquifer, but below the ground. |
nonflowing artesian well |
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If a well is drilled into an aquifer where the pressure surface is both above the aquifer and the ground, a __________ is formed. |
Flowing artesian well |
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what is a requirement for an artesian system to exist? |
Aquitards must be present both above and below the aquifer |
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artesian systems are able to transmit water great distances from __________. |
recharge to discharge areas |
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Zone of saturation |
The zone where all open spaces in sediment and rock are completely filled with water. |
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groundwater |
water in the zone of saturation |
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The water table is relatively flat. True or False |
False the water table mimics the surface topography |
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The unsaturated zone |
The area above the water table where openings in soil, sediment, and rock are not saturated but filled mainly with air. |
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Capillary fringe |
A relatively narrow zone at the base of the zone of aeration. Here water rises from the water table in tiny, threadlike openings between grains of soil or sediment. |
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Zone of soil moisture |
A zone in which water is held as a film on the surface of soil particles and may be used by plants or withdrawn by evaporation. The uppermost subdivision of the unsaturated zone. |
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The Unsaturated zone is made up of 3 groups |
Soil moisture, intermediate belt, and capillary fringe |
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Sink holes |
A depression produced in a region where soluble rock has been removed by groundwater. |
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Porosity |
The volume of open spaces in rock or soil. |
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Permeability |
A measure of a material's ability to transmit water. |
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The quantity of groundwater that can be stored within sedimentary material is most directly controlled by which of the following parameters? |
the porosity of the material |
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aquitards |
An impermeable bed that hinders or prevents groundwater movement. |
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The permeability of a material is directly related to |
the grain size of the material |
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aquifers |
Rock or sediment through which groundwater moves easily. |
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Perched water table |
A localized zone of saturation above the main water table, created by an impermeable layer (aquiclude). |
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Rock, such as shale or clay, or other unlithified sediment can produce layers that are well sorted, but do not allow water to move through them. Which of the following terms is most accurate for this type of layer? |
aquitard |
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An agricultural company purchased a large tract of land adjacent to your property and built a group of large commercial greenhouses on it. This company uses a lot of water to keep the plants green and healthy. During a particularly dry summer, the amount of water available to your well starts to decrease. Since you are utilizing the same aquifer, what has this company done to the water supply? |
The company has compromised the aquifer and is essentially mining the water from it. |
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As a hydrogeologist looking for a source of water for a housing development, what attributes would you look for in a layer of sediment or sedimentary rock? |
High porosity, high permeability, and spread across a large area |