Earth Science, 10e
Edward J. Tarbuck &
Frederick K. Lutgens
Groundwater
Chapter 5
Earth Science, 6e
Stan Hatfield and Ken Pinzke
Southwestern Illinois College
Sources of Earth’s water
Distribution of fresh water in
the hydrosphere
Water, a renewable resource
Illustrates the circulation of Earth's water
supply
Processes involved in the cycle
•
•
•
•
•
Precipitation
Evaporation
Infiltration
Runoff
Transpiration
The hydrologic cycle
Clouds Forest, Costa Rica
Groundwater…
Is the largest freshwater reservoir for
humans. (90% of our water usage)
Plays important geological roles
• As an erosional agent, dissolving by
groundwater produces
• Sinkholes
• Caverns
• An equalizer of stream flow
Features associated with
subsurface water
Groundwater characteristics
Aquifer (closed/open aquifer)
Aquitard or aquiclude
Zone of saturation
Zone of aeration
Zone of recharge/Zone of discharge
 Water table
Water beneath the
surface (groundwater)
Porosity
Percentage of pore spaces
Determines how much groundwater can be stored
Permeability
Ability to transmit water through connected
pore spaces
Coke Model for the Ichetucknee
Basin
• http://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/EPD/
WaterResources/GroundwaterAndSprings/SF
RSBWG%20Presentations/090930_CocaCola_
Western%20Santa%20Fe%20River%20Basin%
20Groundwater%20Resource%20Model.pdf
•
Springs
 Are where ground surface and water table
meet:
• Springs
• Hot springs
• Water is 6-9ºC warmer than the mean air
temperature of the locality
• Heated by cooling of igneous rock
• Geysers
• Intermittent hot springs
• Water turns to steam and erupts
Hot Springs
Old Faithful geyser in
Yellowstone National Park
Geysers formation
Water beneath the
surface (groundwater)
Features associated with groundwater
• Wells
• Pumping can cause a drawdown (lowering) of the
water table
• Pumping can form a cone of depression in the water
table
• Artesian wells
• Water in the well rises higher than the initial
groundwater level
Artesian Well
Pressure Surface
An artesian well resulting
from an inclined aquifer
Formation of a cone of
depression in the water table
Treat groundwater as a
nonrenewable resource
Environmental problems associated with
groundwater:
• Pollution (Farming, industrial, etc…)
• Nitrates in FL Waters: Sources are septic tanks,
atmospheric deposition, fertilizers, and animal
waste.
• federal drinking water standard limit <10 mg/L of
Nitrate as Nitrogen per liter of water
Groundwater Pollution
• Agriculture:
Nitrates from fertilizers, human and
animal waste/sceptic tanks; pesticides; federal drinking
water standard limit <10 mg/L of Nitrate as Nitrogen per
liter of water; blue baby syndrome.
• Industry (manufacturing, constructions, etc..), metals;
• Mining (Acid Mine Drainage), acidic refuse; Mine
Reclamation; Radioactive Waste
• Oil/Gas Industry (Oil spill, UST, etc…)
• Medical/Pharmaceutical waste
Groundwater pollution
Groundwater pollution
• Landfills (waste disposal site)
– Other Environmental Problems:
• Land Subsidence: When the ground collapses due to
the reduction of the water supply from heavy withdrawal.
• Salt Water Contamination: When salt water
intrudes costal homes drinking water supply.
Salt water contamination
Water beneath the
surface (groundwater)
Geologic work of groundwater
• Groundwater is often mildly acidic
• Contains weak carbonic acid
• Dissolves calcite in limestone
• Caverns
• Formed by dissolving rock beneath Earth's surface
• Formed in the zone of saturation
Water beneath the
surface (groundwater)
Geologic work of groundwater
• Caverns
• Features found within caverns
• Form in the zone of aeration
• Composed of dripstone
• Calcite deposited as dripping water evaporates
• Common features include stalactites (hanging
from the ceiling) and stalagmites (growing
upward from the floor)
Dripstone formations in
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Water beneath the
surface (groundwater)
Geologic work of groundwater
• Karst topography
• Formed by dissolving rock at, or near, Earth's
surface
• Common features
• Sinkholes – surface depressions
• Sinkholes form by dissolving bedrock and
cavern collapse
• Caves and caverns
• Area lacks good surface drainage
Development of karst topography
Infrared image of karst
topography in central Florida
End of Chapter 5
GROUNDWATER
No Talking Please
1 - PERMEABILITY IS:
a) ABILITY TO STORE GROUNDWATER
b) ABILITY TO STOP GROUNDWATER
c) ABILITY TO TRANSMIT
GROUNDWATER
d) NONE OF THE ABOVE
2 - WHICH ONE OF THESE IS A
MAJOR POLLUTANT IN OUR
NORTH FLORIDA
GROUNDWATER?
a)
b)
c)
d)
PHOSPHATES
SULFATES
NITRATES
CARBONATES
3 - WHICH FORCE PUSHES
THE GROUNDWATER
THROUGH THE ROCK?
a)
b)
c)
d)
THE PRESSURE SURFACE
THE DARCY COEFFICIENT
THE HYDRAULIC GRADIENT
THE SURFACE TENSION
4 - WHICH ONE (S) OF THESE
IS (ARE) PART OF KARST
TOPOGRAPHY?
a)
b)
c)
d)
SINKHOLES
CAVES AND CAVERNS
SINKING CREEKS
ALL OF THESE
5 - AN AQUIFER IS
a) IMPERMEABLE ROCK ABOVE THE
GROUNDWATER
b) POROUS AND PERMEABLE ROCK
THAT CONTAINS THE
GROUNDWATER
c) SAME AS AQUITARD
d) NONE OF THESE
6 - THE WATER TABLE IS:
a) TOP OF THE AQUIFER
b) TOP OF THE ZONE OF
SATURATION
c) TOP OF THE ZONE OF
AERATION
d) NONE OF THE ABOVE
7 - WHICH ZONE
CONTAINS THE
GROUNDWATER?
a)
b)
c)
d)
THE ZONE OF AERATION
THE CONE OF DEPRESSION
THE PRESSURE SURFACE
THE ZONE OF SATURATION
8 - THE LOWERING OF THE
WATER TABLE DUE TO
HEAVY PUMPING IS:
a)
b)
c)
d)
ZONE OF DEPRESSION
ZONE OF SATURATION
CONE OF DEPRESSION
CONE OF SATURATION
9 - WHICH ROCK IS AN
AQUITARD?
a)
b)
c)
d)
SANDSTONE
LIMESTONE
CLAY
NONE OF THESE
10 - THE FLORIDIAN
AQUIFER IS MADE OF
WHAT ROCK?
a)
b)
c)
d)
CLAYSTONE
SANDSTONE
LIMESTONE
MILESTONE
11 - AN ARTESIAN WELL
EXISTS WHEN:
a) IT LIES ABOVE THE PRESSURE
SURFACE
b) IT LIES BELOW THE PRESSURE
SURFACE
c) THE PRESSURE SURFACE IS
ABSENT
d) NONE OF THESE
12 - HOW MUCH OF THE OCEAN
WATERS ARE IN THE
HYDROSPHERE?
a)
b)
c)
d)
87%
70%
90%
97%
13 - HOW MUCH
GROUNDWATER DO WE USE IN
FLORIDA?
a)
b)
c)
d)
80%
70%
90%
97%
14 - A ROCK ABILITY TO STORE
WATER IS:
a)
b)
c)
d)
PERMEABILITY
SATURATION
POROSITY
AERATION
15 – Which one of these is not
source of nitrates pollution in FL?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Farming
Animal waste
Septic Tank
Fossil fuel burning
16 - WHAT MAKES WATER
FLOW?
a.
b.
c.
d.
1. DISCHARGE
2. RECHARGE
HYDRAULIC GRADIENT
DARCY’S FORCE
17 – In Florida sinkholes are
pathways to the groundwater
a. True
b. False
18 – Fine particles that float on a
stream surface are called
a. Bed load
b. Suspended load
c. Floating load
19 – Between stalagmites and
stalagtites which ones hang from the
ceiling?
a. Stalagtites
b. Stalagmites
20 - It is possible to check areas
prone to sinkhole from satellite
imaging using
a.
b.
c.
d.
Laser beam
Infrasound
Ultrasound
Infrared
21. Area where most of the
runoff infiltrates the ground is
called
a.
b.
c.
d.
Zone of saturation
Zone of discharge
Zone of recharge
Cone of depression
22. Every time we develop a new
area we are doing what?
a. Increase the demand for water resources
b. Reduce the amount of water getting into
the ground
c. Reduce the recharge zone
d. Increase the risk for water pollution
e. All of the above
26. Well water or city water, they
all are originating from the same
aquifer
a. True
b. False
c. Who cares!
23. How much groundwater is
there in the hydrosphere?
a.
b.
c.
d.
97%
3%
< 1%
None of these
24. There are drugs in the
groundwater you are drinking
a. True
b. False
c. Great!
d. Who cares!
25. What is safe to drink?
a.
b.
c.
d.
City water
Well water
Bottled water
None is safe, they all may contain
pollutants
e. Who care!