GROUND WATER PICTURE
NAME _________________________
1.
With a blue marker or colored pencil, draw a line showing the location of the water table.
2.
Label the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation.
3.
What is the difference between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation?
4.
What is the difference between a permeable layer and an impermeable layer??
5.
Use another color of marker or colored pencil to shade in and label the confined aquifer.
6.
Use another color of marker or colored pencil to shade in and label the unconfined aquifer.
7.
What is the difference between a confined aquifer and an unconfined aquifer?
8.
How does water get into an aquifer?
9.
Refer to the diagram of a cone of depression in the lower corner. Our profile contains a
cone of depression. Where is it located?
10.
Using the information found in the table on the back page, what type of area exists above
the cone of depression? What is causing the depression to form?
11.
Find the places on the soil profile where the water table reaches the surface? What type of
land exists at these spots?
Water Table:
The top of an unconfined aquifer; indicates the level below which soil and rock
are saturated with water.
Confined Aquifer:
An aquifer that is bounded above and below by nonpermeable layers. The water
level in a well that taps a confined aquifer will rise above the top of the aquifer
because the confined aquifer is under pressure. Also called an artesian wells.
Unconfined Aquifer:
An aquifer in which the upper boundary is the top the water table.
Permeable Layer:
Portion of aquifer that contains porous rock materials that allow water to
penetrate freely.
Impermeable layer:
Portion of aquifer that contains rock material that does not allow water to
penetrate; often forms that base of unconfined aquifers and the boundaries for
confined aquifers.
Zone of Saturation:
The part of a water bearing formation in which all spaces (between soil particles
and in rock structures) are filled with water.
Zone of Aeration:
Portion of unconfined aquifer above the water table where the pore spaces
among soil particles and rock formations are filled with air.