Nước dưới đất và địa hình karst Tuần hoàn nước (WATER CYCLE) Condensation Evaporation Precipitation Runoff Nước dưới đất Nước có thể tồn tại và vận động trong đất đá dưới dạng lấp đầy lỗ hổng, khe nứt, dập vỡ, khoảng trống Nước bổ cập xuống hệ thống nước ngầm qua đường thấm từ nước mưa, dòng chảy của sông, hồ.. Nước ngầm Ground water that meets the land surface also helps keep rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands filled with water. % of lượng nước ngọt trên Trái đất tồn tại ở dạng nước ngầm, lớn hơn 30 lần lượng nước tồn tại ở sông và hồ trên Trái đất. 14 Nước thấm xuống đất và trở thành một phần của nước dưới đất. Hệ thống nước dưới đất cũng gần tương tự như hệ thống nước sông (nước mặt) Khác với hệ thống nước mặt là cần có đường, kênh dẫn dòng trong việc lưu thông dòng chảy trong lưu vực, nước dưới đất được lưu thông qua qua hệ thống lỗ rỗng, dập vỡ, khe nứt Groundwater Một số đặc điểm: - Mặt nước ngầm (water table) thường có hình thái trùng với hình thái bề mặt địa hình. - Sông, suối, hồ phần lớn là điểm liên kết của mặt nước ngầm với bề mặt địa hình - Nước ngầm di chuyển, vận động theo hướng dốc của bề mặt nước ngầm - Hầu hết nước dưới đất được thoát ra hệ thống sông suối (hoặc ra biển) Đới thông khí (zone of Aeration): khu vực khảảng trống, lỗ rỗng.. không có nước. Mặt nước ngầm (Water Table): ranh giới giữa đới bão hòa và đới thông khí; lỗ khoan cần được khoan sâu dưới mặt nước ngầm có thể khai thác nước ngầm Đới bão hòa (zone of Saturation): phần đất đá mà lỗ rỗng được lấp đầy với nước Lỗ rỗng (porosity) và độ thấm (permeanility) Độ thấm: khả năng nước có thể di chuyển trong, qua tầng chứa, vật liệu chứa nước Độ rỗng (Porosity): tỷ lệ giữa thể tích lỗ rỗng trên thể tích của đất đá Độ dẫn nước (Permeability) Soil and rock are permeable if the pore spaces are connected and water can pass through them easily. If a rock or sediment has few pore spaces, or they are not well connected, then the flow of groundwater is blocked. These materials are impermeable, which means that water cannot pass through them. Granite and clay are impermeable; sandstone is permeable. Groundwater keeps going deeper into the Earth’s crust until it reaches a layer of impermeable rock. At this point, the water stops moving down. Water begins filling up the pores in the rocks above. The layer of permeable rock that lets water move freely is an aquifer. The zone of aeration is the first layer of soil that is permeable. Water and air pass through this layer easily. The area where all of the rocks are filled with water is called the zone of saturation. The upper surface of this zone is called the water table. GROUNDWATER FEATURES Hệ thống nước ngầm 1. Earth’s Surface 2. Precipitation 3. Body of water 4. Zone of Aeration 5. Water Table 6. Zone of Saturation Nước ngầm cung cấp cho con người được khai thác qua lỗ khoan khoan trong tầng bão hòa Many people get their water from groundwater through wells that have been drilled into the zone of saturation. The supply of groundwater is limited. During a drought the water table drops, which is why you should conserve water. People get the majority of their water from wells. A good well extends deep into the zone of saturation, where groundwater flows into the well and a pump brings it to the surface. If too much water is pumped out, then wells can go dry. The land level can sink from the weight of the sediments above the now-empty pore spaces. What does a normal household well look like? Water flows into a well and then a pump brings the water to the surface. Wells can go dry if too many are located in one area, or if a drought takes place. ARTESIAN WELL Water pumped from the ground-water system causes the water table to lower and alters the direction of ground-water movement. Some water that flowed to the stream no longer does so and some water may be drawn in from the stream into the ground-water system, thereby reducing the amount of streamflow. Dangers Associated with Groundwater Effects of Over-Pumping a Well Sinkholes from groundwater overpumping, Antelope Valley, CA Dust storm during Dust Bowl in Kansas, when overpumping from wells & a drought caused farmers to ‘overspend’ the water budget CONTAMINATED?! CONES OF DEPRESSION Shallow wells go dry due to excessive pumping In some places, the water table is so close to Earth’s surface that water flows out and forms a spring. Springs are found on hillsides or other places where the water table meets a sloping surface. SPRING FORMATION HOT SPRINGS Hot Spring A geyser is a hot spring that erupts periodically, shooting water and steam into the air. Groundwater is heated to high temperatures from magma under the Earth’s surface. As the water heats, it expands, forcing water out of the ground along with steam, as the remaining water boils. Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park is a famous geyser. GEYSERS: OLD FAITHFUL http://www.yellowstone.net/russfinley/tour/video/oldfaith2.rm Picture of a geyser in action! Geyser Groundwater mixes with carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid. Limestone is a rock that is easily dissolved by carbonic acid. As the acidic groundwater moves through pores in limestone, the rock dissolves, enlarging cracks until an underground opening called a cave is formed. Groundwater not only dissolves limestone to make caves, but it also can make deposits on the insides of caves. Water dripping from the cave walls contains calcium ions dissolved from the limestone. If the water evaporates while hanging from the ceiling, the calcium carbonate is left behind and builds up to form a stalactite. Where water drops fall to the floor, a stalagmite forms. Cave Development CAVE ENTRANCE Disappearing Stream NATURAL CHIMNEYS NATURAL BRIDGE If underground rock is dissolved near the surface a sinkhole may form. A sinkhole is a depression on the surface of the ground that forms when the roof of a cave collapses, or when rock near the surface dissolves. These are common in areas that have lots of limestone and enough rain water to keep the groundwater system supplied with water. Sinkhole SINKHOLE Karst topography is common in the Valley and Ridge Province of Virginia, where limestone is abundant. KARST TOPOGRAPHY FEATURES Human Impact on Groundwater Groundwater accounts for 20% of all water used in the U.S. Unwise use of this valuable resource can damage or deplete groundwater reservoirs Some of the problems related to groundwater use include: overpumping-lowering the water table subsidence contamination Pollutants Contaminants introduced at the land surface may infiltrate to the water table and flow towards a point of discharge, either the well or the stream. A SOURCE OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION: SEPTIC TANKS Contamination results in a decline in water quality. ANOTHER SOURCE OF POLLUTION: STORAGE TANKS YET ANOTHER SOURCE OF POLLUTION: LANDFILLS Groundwater Moves – Usually Slowly