Ground Water Environments- Test 4

Front 1

-Water that exists below the Earth’s surface.

-The water that flows underneath the ground in aquifers.

Back 1

Groundwater

Front 2

What percentage of groundwater accounts for the world’s freshwater?

Back 2

12%

Front 3

What percentage of Texans drink groundwater?

Back 3

57%

Front 4

What is the water that flows on top of the Earth’s surface and it is property of the State of Texas (highly regulated).

Back 4

Surface Water

Front 5

What does the following statement apply to? One must apply for a Water Rights Permit and then rights are assigned based on a "first in time, first in right" method.

Back 5

Surface Water

Front 6

What is regulated through “Right of Capture“ in Texas.

Back 6

Groundwater Usage

Front 7

This means that anyone can legally pump as much groundwater as they want from under their land provided they put it to a beneficial use.

Back 7

Right of Capture

Front 8

-A geologic formation(s) that is water bearing.

-A geological formation or structure that stores and/or transmits water, such as to wells and springs.

Back 8

Aquifer

Front 9

What is an aquifer separated from other aquifers and land surfaces by a confining rock layer called an aquifer

Back 9

Confined Aquifer

Front 10

It is a layer of geologic material which hampers the movement of water into and out of an aquifer. Examples are unfractured igneous rock, metamorphic rock, and shale, or unconsolidated sediments such as clays.

Back 10

Aquitard or Confining Bed

Front 11

Allows groundwater to partially fill the aquifer and allows the upper surface of the groundwater called the water table to freely rise and fall based on recharge.

Back 11

Unconfined Aquifer

Front 12

What is an aquifer in which a ground water body is separated from the main ground water below it by an impermeable layer (which is relatively small laterally) and an unsaturated zone. Common in volcanics and glacial deposits.

Back 12

Perched Aquifer

Front 13

The top of an unconfined aquifer below which
the pore spaces are generally saturated.
 The level in the saturated zone at which the pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure.

Back 13

Water Table

Front 14

What 4 distinctive characteristics does an aquifer have?

Back 14

1. Recharge
2. Porosity
3. Permeability
4. Discharge

Front 15

What is the process that allows water to replenish an aquifer’s water resources through groundwater percolation.

Back 15

Recharge

Front 16

What is defined as the ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of aquifer material. Refers to the pore spaces between the individual rock particles.

Back 16

Porosity

Front 17

What is the porosity of well sorted
sand & gravel

Back 17

25% - 50%

Front 18

What is the porosity of sand & gravel
Mixed

Back 18

20% - 35%

Front 19

What is the porosity of silt?

Back 19

35% - 50%

Front 20

What is the porosity of clay?

Back 20

33% - 60%

Front 21

The capacity of a porous rock, sediment, or soil to transmit ground water. It is a measure of the inter-connectedness of a material's pore spaces and the relative ease of fluid flow under unequal pressure.

Back 21

PERMEABILITY

Front 22

The movement of ground water from an aquifer to the Earth’s surface into a spring, lake, river, or other surface water body.

Back 22

Discharge

Front 23

This is the zone of an aquifer in which all pores are filled with water.

Back 23

Saturated Zone

Front 24

The subsurface zone in which the geological material contains both water and air in pore spaces.

Back 24

Unsaturated Zone

Front 25

This is the area where water is pulled from the aquifer upward into the unsaturated zone by capillary action. The boundary between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone.

Back 25

Capillary Fringe

Front 26

How does groundwater move?

Back 26

Groundwater moves from areas of higher elevation to areas of lower elevation under the influence of gravity. The direction normally follows the topography of the land.

Front 27

How fast does groundwater move?

Back 27

Most of the time, it moves
extremely slow with average
movement of inches per day.Speed can increase in porous and
permeable sandy soils to 10’s of
feet per day.In cavernous limestone units, the
speed may be miles per day.

Front 28

What happens when groundwater
exits the ground?

Back 28

-Springs and Seeps
-Water Wells
-Artesian Systems

Front 29

A place where ground water naturally comes to the surface at the intersection of the water table and land surface.

Back 29

Spring

Front 30

How are springs and seeps formed?

Back 30

Water percolates down through the soil until it hits a confining layer.
 The water then flows laterally and if this flow intersects with the surface, the water discharges as a spring.

Front 31

Openings made by digging or drilling down into
the zone of saturation.

Back 31

Water Wells

Front 32

The water level in this well stands at some height above the water table because of the pressure of the aquifer.

Back 32

Artesian Wells

Front 33

What percentage of water is lost due to leaks?

Back 33

13.17%

Front 34

What percentage of water is used for washing machines?

Back 34

21.7%

Front 35

What percentage of water is used for the toilet?

Back 35

26.7%

Front 36

What percentage of water is used for faucets?

Back 36

15.7%

Front 37

Bottled water may be
advertised as…

Back 37

Artesian
Spring
Purified

Front 38

Which type of water is not regulated by State of
Texas (TCEQ).

Back 38

Bottled Water

Front 39

Who monitors the quality of bottled water?

Back 39

Bottled water association
monitors quality.

Front 40

How many minor aquifers does TX have?

Back 40

20

Front 41

How many major aquifers does TX have that are named?

Back 41

9

Front 42

One of the most unique and prolific artesian groundwater systems in the world. The location of which is…South-Central Texas

Back 42

Edwards Aquifer

Front 43

What 3 zones does the Edwards Aquifer have?

Back 43

Contributing Zone, Recharge Zone, Artesian Zone

Front 44

This is a 4400 square mile area in the Texas Hill country that catches rainwater in creeks. This rainfall flows over impermeable limestone towards the recharge zone.

Back 44

Contributing Zone

Front 45

Is a 1500 square mile area of the Edwards Aquifer where highly faulted and fractured Edwards limestones outcrop at the land surface, allowing large quantities of water to flow into the Aquifer. About 75%-80% of groundwater recharge occurs via fractures.

Back 45

Recharge Zone

Front 46

Recharge water works its way by gravity down into which zone of the Edwards Aquifer? The sheer weight of new water entering the Aquifer in the recharge zone puts tremendous pressure on water that is already deeper down in the formation.

Back 46

Artesian Zone

Front 47

1. Fed by 3 springs
2. Main spring flows 31 mgd
3. Only known habitat for Barton Springs Salamander

Back 47

Barton Springs Austin

Front 48

What is the sole drinking water supply for the City of San Antonio?

Back 48

Edwards Aquifer

Front 49

Where is the largest water
well in the world located?

Back 49

Edwards Aquifer in
southwest Bexar
County.

Front 50

Used approximately 1
million gallons of water per
day (250,000 people).

Back 50

Catfish Farm

Front 51

After years of court battles was bought by SAWS for $30 million dollars. Opened in 1990. Full operation for 1 year. Fish were kept in shade (aquaculture).

Back 51

Catfish Farm

Front 52

Which aquifer is about 800 miles long and 400 miles wide (174,000 sq. miles). Primary use of aquifer is agriculture.

Back 52

Ogallala Aquifer

Front 53

When & how was the Ogallala Aquifer created?

Back 53

Created 2-6 million of
years ago due to erosion
of the southern end of
the Rocky Mountains.

Front 54

How fast in terms of feet is the Ogallala aquifer water table declining and when will it dry up?

Back 54

Water table declining at a rate of
1.75 feet per year. Some say it
will dry up in 25 years.

Front 55

Recharge zone is almost
completely cut off due to climate
change and human influence
(estimated to be between 0.5
inches and 6 inches per year)
 Rocky Mountains have not
supplied recharge for over
1000 years.

Back 55

Ogallala Aquifer

Front 56

Which aquifer supplies groundwater to the
Waco area?

Back 56

Trinity Aquifer

Front 57

Which aquifer does the following describe:

-Most wells in this area about 2000 feet deep.
-Slow movement…groundwater in Waco area about 200 years old.
-Water level has dropped about 400 feet since 1970’s.

Back 57

Trinity Aquifer

Front 58

What type of topography does groundwater form?

Back 58

Karst Topography

Front 59

Karst topography is topography characterized by what?

Back 59

Underground Drainage Systems.

Front 60

How is Karst topography formed?

Back 60

-As rain falls through the atmosphere, it picks up CO2 which dissolves in the droplets.
-Once the rain hits the ground, it percolates through the soil and picks up more CO2 to form a weak solution of carbonic acid.

Front 61

-Began in 1980
-Began forming on same day Mount St. Helens erupted.

Back 61

The Wink Sink

Front 62

What is an example of Permian aged limestone that has been hallowed out to form a karst feature?

Back 62

Carlsbad Caverns

Front 63

Often called “travertine”
 Forms from slow dripping of ground water in a cave.
 looks like a flowing stone waterfall.

Back 63

Dripstone

&

Flowstone

Front 64

form from the top of caves

Back 64

Stalactites

Front 65

form from the base of caves

Back 65

Stalagmites

Front 66

What is hollow on the inside and has water dripping through it.
 Over time, the inside clogs up with calcite minerals causing the stalactite to grow larger.

Back 66

Soda Straw

Front 67

What is formed when water seeps along a slanted cavern ceiling? It hangs in folds.

Back 67

Drapery

Front 68

What are stone balls that look similar to ping pong balls on the floor of a cavern? It forms around grains of sand as layers of calcite are added to the grain over time.

Back 68

Cave Pearls

Front 69

What are clusters of calcite balls that build upon the walls of a flooded cavern?

Back 69

Popcorn

Front 70

What are very long dripstones? They extend for great heights and can be multiple stories tall.

Back 70

Totem Pole

Front 71

What is similar to a soda straw except it curls and twists in every direction.

Back 71

Helictite

Front 72

What is formed by the dissolution of limestone by carbonic acid?

Back 72

Caves- They are karst features.

Front 73

Where are caves common at in TX?

Back 73

Caves are common in
Hill Country area of
Texas because of the
amount of karst
limestone present.

Front 74

When was the limestone rocks of the Edwards group originally deposited and what type of environment was there?

Back 74

The limestone rocks of the
Edwards group were originally
deposited about 100 MYA when
a warm, shallow sea covered
central Texas.