Aim: What factors Affect the storage and movement of groundwater?
After infiltrating the soil, groundwater occupies distinct zones. A. Groundwater zones After infiltrating the soil, groundwater occupies distinct zones.
Let’s take a closer look Impermeable Bedrock
Zones Impermeable Bedrock- doesn’t allow water to flow through Zones of Saturation- all pore spaces are filled with water Water Table- the interface between the zone of saturation and aeration Zones of Aeration- the top zone, where all pore spaces are filled with air.
Watershed Drainage basin, it is the geographic area in which water drains into a particular stream or other body of water.
Porosity The amount of pore spaces in the soil High Porosity Low Porosity Porosity The amount of pore spaces in the soil Soils with high porosity have round particles that are well sorted (all the same size) and loosely packed. Particle size makes no difference.
Permeability The ability of a soil to let water pass through it. Soils with high permeability have large particles with large pore spaces that are well connected. Low permeability= lots of runoff!!!
How Slope Effects Permeability The steeper the slope= less permeability, water can’t infiltrate.
Gentle slope/flat land=High Permeability, greater chance for water to infiltrate the soil
Capillarity (capillary action) The ability of a soil to let water pass upwards towards the surface Smaller grained soils (sand, silt, etc.) have the best capillarity action, and will pull water up the highest. Capillarity occurs because of the attraction between soil grains and water molecules.
Which will have greater permeability? WHY?
Capillarity Continued http://youtu.be/BXs-0LLfSH4