Water Beneath the

Surface
 Groundwater: underground
water that fills almost all
the pores in rock and
sediment

• -makes up 90% of the Earth’s liquid

freshwater
Porosity: refers to
the percentage of
open spaces in rock
or sediment
 Porosity:
• Affected by:
1. sorting: amount of uniformity in size
of particle in a rock or sediment
-same size particles=large porosity
-different size particles= small porosity
• 2. way particles are packed together
– packed loosely= high porosity
- packed tightly= low porosity
 Permeability: how freely
water passes through open
spaces in rock or sediment

• -open spaces must be connected to

be permeable !
 Impermeable: rock or
sediment that water can not
flow through
 Ground water flow depends
on permeability of aquifer
and gradient of its water
table.

• Gradient increase = velocity

of ground water increase
Gradient decrease = velocity
of ground water decrease
Water Beneath the Surface
• zone of saturation: layer of
groundwater where all pores are
full
• aquifer: body of rock through
which large amounts of water can
flow and much water is stored
• water table: upper surface of
the zone of saturation
capillary fringe: where water is drawn
up by capillary action from zone of
saturation
• zone of aeration: zone that lies
between water table and surface
(remains dry except during rainfall)
• soil-water region: space around soil
accumulates water
• well: a hole that is dug below the
water table and fills with groundwater
• cone of depression: cone-shaped
depression in water table around a well
• artesian well: well in which water
flows freely with no pumping necessary
• cap rock: top layer of impermeable
rock
• spring: a natural flow of
groundwater to the Earth’s
surface that is found where
the ground dips below the
water table
• artesian spring: natural flow
of water to the surface from
an artesian formation
• hot spring: hot groundwater
that rises to surface before
cooling
• geysers:
hot springs
that erupt
periodically
• Conserving Groundwater:
Sources of pollution – water
dumps, underground storage
tanks, agriculture and lawn
fertilizers, pesticides, leaking
sewage
•Conservation – monitor levels of
water tables, discourage uses of
excess water, recycle, purifying
used water
 Results of Weathering by
Groundwater

• hard water: water that

contains large amounts of
dissolved minerals
– has metallic taste, soap won’t
make suds, damages appliances
that use water
• caverns: large cave with
connecting chambers
• sinkhole:
depression
formed
when the
roof of a
cavern
collapses
stalactite: cone-shaped
calcite deposit suspended
from the ceiling of a cavern
stalagmite:
cone-shaped
calcite
deposit
built up
from the
floor of a
cavern