Geology 101 Name__________________

Reading & Lecture Guides for Groundwater (Chapter 14)

The Importance of Groundwater (page 368):

Please read this section on the importance of groundwater. The details on the volumes of water in
groundwater will be not tested. One of the topics covered in this section is the individual uses of water. It is
environmentally important for all of us to try to reduce our use of fresh water.

During what time of year do towns in Western Washington rely most on groundwater resources?

Groundwater and the Water Table (page 370):

Later in the chapter, the author defines aquifer, but to understand the importance of the next terms, we need
to understand aquifer. An aquifer is a zone within the earth which transports and stores water (also it is
implied that there is enough water to make it worth our while to drill to it).

For an aquifer to be success it must have porosity. What is porosity and why is it important?

For an aquifer to be successful it must also have permeability. What is permeablity and why is it
important?

Factors that control groundwater levels & infiltration rates:

In order for precipitation to infiltrate into the ground, surface rocks or sediment must have:

High/ Low (circle one) permeability AND (circle one) High/Low porosity.

How Groundwater Moves (page 374):

The water table normally follows the landscape, although its highs and lows are ________ pronounced than
those of the landscape.

“…the looping curves followed by the water in the saturated zone may be thought of as a compromise
between the downward pull of ________________________ and the tendency of the water to move towards
areas of ______________________ pressure.”

► The _________________ ____________________ is the elevation difference between two points on the
water table. Water tends to flow ________________ (faster, slower) when this gradient is higher.

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The diagrams in this chapter show the water in blue. Remember that the water is contained in sand, gravel,
and rocks layers, not in open cavities. The diagrams in this chapter ignore the layers and tend to show only
the water.

Wells (page 376):

Explain how a cone of depression forms.

A local impermeable layer, such as clay or impermeable rock, may create a local water table that is higher in
elevation by trapping the water above the impermeable layer. This is called a _______________ water table.

Springs, Hot Springs, and Geysers (page 379)

A special type of spring is a geyser. Read the part on geysers on pages 380 and 381, including Figure 14.22.
A key idea in the operation of a geyser is that the weight of the water in the cavities causes the water to heat
beyond the boiling point. I encourage you to read this section, but you will not be tested on it.

Environmental Problems (page 382):

We will discuss some environmental issues related to groundwater in class. I encourage you to read this
section.

 What is groundwater mining?

 What is salt-water intrusion?

The Geologic Work of Groundwater (page 386):

The irregular topography that develops in areas that underlain by limestone is termed
____________________. One of the unusual aspects of this type of topography is that there are very few
small streams because most of the precipitation infiltrates into the ground and is carries along fractures in the
limestone.