 Draw a meander and label these locations: erosion, deposition, faster water, and slower water. Warm – Up 2/6

Groundwater Springs, Wells, and Aquifers

Movement and Storage of Groundwater

 97% contained in the oceans  3% of this water contained by landmasses (nearly all freshwater)  More than 90% of freshwater on Earth in the form of polar ice caps and glaciers  Remaining freshwater is groundwater  Rivers, streams, lakes only small portion of Earth’s freshwater The Hydrosphere: water on and in Earth’s crust

 Evaporation of ocean waters, forms clouds/precipitation, weather systems and winds move this moisture build up all over Earth  Falls to land and enters ground through infiltration, becoming groundwater (solid precip. stays for longer periods of time until melting)  Groundwater move through ground, returns to surface via springs, then flows back to oceans. Precipitation and Groundwater

 Subsurface materials contain pores; percentage of pore space in material called porosity  Range 2-3% to more than 50% (sand)  Large quantity of groundwater are stored in the pore spaces of rocks and sediments Groundwater Storage: Where does the water go?

 Def: depth below Earth’s surface at which groundwater completely fills all the pores of a material  Upper boundary of this zone= water table  Only the water in the zone of saturation is called groundwater The Zone of Saturation

 Depth varies with local conditions  Stream valleys groundwater close to surface; water table only few meters deep  Hilltops/arid regions tens to hundreds meters deep  Water table fluctuates with season and weather conditions because of its dependence on precipitation The Water Table

 Flows downhill in direction of slope of the water table  Moves extremely slow because the water has to travel through numerous tiny pores  Ability of material to let water pass= permeability  Large connected pores= high permeability (sand and gravel)  Silt and clay=tiny pores=impermeable  Steeper slope of water table= higher velocity of groundwater Groundwater Movement

 Most groundwater flows through permeable layers known as aquifers  Aquicludes: barriers to groundwater flow Aquifers

Groundwater Erosion and Deposition

 Dissolution and formation of calcium carbonate play role in formation of limestone caves  Cave: natural underground opening with connection to Earth’s surface  Formed when groundwater dissolves limestone  Most develop in the zone of saturation just below water table Dissolution By Groundwater

 Sinkhole: depression in the ground caused by the collapse of a cave or by the direct dissolution of bedrock by acidic rain or moist soil  Limestone regions that have sinkholes said to have karst topography Karst Topography

 Hard Water: contains high concentration of calcium, magnesium, or iron  Common in limestone areas  Deposits of calcium bicarbonate can clog water pipes Groundwater Deposits

 Stalacites: drops of water hanging lose some carbon dioxide and deposits calcium carbonate  Stalagmites: water drops splash to floor  Composed of travertine: type of limestone Groundwater Deposits

 Create a “travel ad” for one of the following terms from today:  Karst topography  Stalagmites and stalactites  Aquifer  Zone of saturation  Your ad should include:  What this term means  Where it can be found  What makes this term interesting  Some sort of picture (with colors) to describe this term Groudwater Travel Ad