Environmental scienceLesson 4 of 4 in the course Water pollution and treatment

Groundwater: Storage, Use, Depletion, and Protection

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Groundwater is water beneath Earth's surface. This lesson introduces how it is stored in soil and rock, how aquifers and the water table are defined, and why groundwater matters.

Groundwater occupies pore spaces between grains of soil and sediment, as well as fractures and other openings in rock. It is not usually found in vast underground lakes; it is held and moves through connected spaces in geological materials. In the broad technical sense, groundwater may also include soil moisture, water in permafrost, very slowly moving water in low-permeability rock, and deep geothermal or oil-formation water.

All flashcards

Groundwater
Water beneath Earth's surface in soil pores, sediment spaces, and openings in rock.
Aquifer
A rock unit or unconsolidated deposit that can yield a usable quantity of water.
Water table
The upper surface of the saturated zone in an unconfined groundwater system.
Groundwater overdraft
Withdrawal of groundwater faster or in greater amounts than replenishment can sustain.
Hydrogeology
The study of groundwater distribution and movement.

Quiz questions

  1. What process replenishes groundwater when water infiltrates and percolates down to the water table?Answer: Recharge
  2. When does groundwater overdraft occur?Answer: When withdrawals exceed sustainable replenishment from recharge and other inputs.
  3. How can excessive groundwater pumping cause land subsidence?Answer: Lowered water pressure allows compressible sediments to compact.
  4. What can happen in a coastal aquifer when excessive pumping lowers freshwater pressure?Answer: Seawater can move inland into the aquifer.
  5. What is a central function of groundwater governance?Answer: Coordinating policies and controls to guide groundwater use and protection.

Based on the Wikipedia article Groundwater, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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