Groundwater

GroundWater
GroundWaterliesbeneaththegroundsurface,filling
poresinsedimentsandsedimentaryrocksandfractures
inotherrocktypes
Represents0.6%ofthehydrosphere(35xthewaterin
alllakesandriverscombined)
Resuppliedbyslowinfiltration
ofprecipitation
Generallycleanerthansurfacewater
Accessedbywells

PorosityandPermeability
Porositythepercentageofrockorsediment
thatconsistsofvoidsoropenings
Measurementofarocksabilitytohold
water
Loosesandhas~3050%porosity
Compactedsandstonemayhaveonly10
20%porosity
Permeabilitythecapacityofarocktotransmit
fluidthroughporesandfractures
Interconnectednessofporespaces
Mostsandstonesandconglomeratesare
porousandpermeable
Granites,schists,unfracturedlimestones
areimpermeable

TheWaterTable
Subsurfacezoneinwhichallrockopeningsarefilled
withwateristhesaturatedzone
Topofthesaturatedzoneisthewatertable
Waterlevelatsurfaceofmostlakesandrivers
correspondstolocalwatertable
Abovethewatertableisanunsaturatedregioncalled
thevadosezone
Aperchedwatertableisaboveandseparatedfrommain
watertablebyanunsaturatedzone
Commonlyproducedbythinlensesofimpermeable
rock(e.g.,shalesorclays)withinpermeableones

GroundWaterMovement
Movementofgroundwaterthrough
poresandfracturesisrelativelyslow
(cmstometers/day)comparedto
flowofwaterinsurfacestreams
Flowvelocitiesincavernouslimestones
canbemuchhigher(kms/day)

Flowvelocitydependsupon:
Slopeofthewatertable
Permeabilityoftherockorsediment

InsertrevisedFig.
11.4here

InsertrevisedFig.
11.6here

AquifersandAquitards
Aquiferbodyofsaturatedrockorsedimentthrough
whichwatercanmoveeasily

Sandstone
Conglomerate
Welljointedlimestone
Sandandgravel
Highlyfractured
volcanicrock

Aquitardrock/sedimentthatretardsgroundwater
flowduetolowporosityand/orpermeability
Shale,clay,unfracturedcrystallinerocks

Wells
Welladeepholedugordrilledintotheground
toobtainwaterfromanaquifer
Forwellsinunconfinedaquifers,waterlevel
beforepumpingisthewatertable
Waterenterswellfromporespaceswithin
thesurroundingaquifer
Watertablecanbeloweredbypumping,a
processknownasdrawdown
Watermayrisetoalevelabovethetopofa
confinedaquifer,producinganartesianwell

InsertnewFig.
11.8here

SpringsandStreams
Springaplacewherewaterflows
naturallyfromrockorsediment
ontothegroundsurface
Gainingstreamsreceivewater
fromthesaturatedzone
Gainingstreamsurfaceislocalwater
table
Losingstreamslosewatertothe
saturatedzone
Streambedslieabovethewatertable
Maximuminfiltrationoccursthrough
streambed,producingpermanent
moundinthewatertablebeneathdry
channel

GroundWaterContamination
Infiltratingwatermaybringcontaminantsdowntothe
watertable,including(butnotlimitedto):

Pesticides/herbicides
Fertilizers
Landfillpollutants
Heavymetals
Bacteria,virusesandparasitesfromsewage
Industrialchemicals(PCBs,TCE)
Acidminedrainage
Radioactivewaste
Oilandgasoline

Contaminatedgroundwatercanbeextremelydifficultand
expensivetocleanup

BalancingWithdrawal
andRecharge
Ifgroundwateriswithdrawnmore
rapidlythanitisrecharged,the
watertablewilldrop
Droppingwatertablecanleadto
groundsubsidence
surfaceofthegrounddropsas
buoyancyfromgroundwateris
removed,allowingrockorsedimentto
compactandsink

Subsidencecancrackfoundations,
roadsandpipelines
Areasofextremelyhighgroundwater
pumping(suchasforcropirrigationin
dryregions)havesubsided79meters

Caves,Sinkholes,andKarst
Cavesnaturallyformedunderground
chambers
Acidicgroundwaterdissolveslimestone
alongjointsandbeddingplanes

Cavesnearthesurfacemaycollapse
andproducesinkholes
Rollinghills,disappearingstreams,
andsinkholesarecommoninareas
withkarsttopography

HotWaterUnderground
Hotspringsspringsinwhichthewateris
warmerthanhumanbodytemperature
Groundwaterheatedbynearbymagma
bodiesorcirculationtounusuallydeep(and
warm)levelswithinthecrust
Hotwaterislessdensethancoolwaterand
thusrisesbacktothesurfaceonitsown
Geysershotspringsthatperiodicallyerupthot
waterandsteam
Mineralsoftenprecipitatearoundgeysersas
hotwatercoolsrapidlyintheair

GeothermalEnergy
Geothermalenergyisproducedusing
naturalsteamorsuperheatedwater
NoCO2oracidrainareproduced(clean
energysource)
Sometoxicgasesgivenoff(e.g.,sulfur
compounds)
Canbeuseddirectlytoheatbuildings
Superheatedwatercanbeverycorrosiveto
pipesandequipment