GROUNDWATERObjectives:

• Describe how water moves under the Earth’s surface.• Explain how groundwater dissolves and deposits rocks and minerals.• Describe how the features of karst topography shape the landscape.• Explain how groundwater is withdrawn from aquifers by wells.

NAME:_________Date: ______ Block: ______

Key Terms• __________________: amount of pore space in a material• __________________________________: region below the Earth’s surface where all

the pores of a material are filled with groundwater• __________________________: upper boundary of the zone of saturation• __________________________: ability of a material to let water pass through• ______________________: impermeable layer that is a barrier to groundwater• ________________: natural discharge of groundwater at the Earth’s surface where an

aquifer and aquiclude come in contact• __________________ : spring that is heated to warmer than human body temperature• __________________ : explosively hot springs where water is heated past its boiling

point, causing it to vaporize• ___________ : a natural underground opening with a connection to the Earth’s surface• ______________________ : depression in the ground caused by a cave collapse or

direct dissolution of limestone by acidic water• _____________________________ :limestone regions with sinkholes and

disappearing streams• _____________ : rock formations that are built over time as water drips through caves• _________________________ : a dripstone that hangs from the ceiling of a cave• _____________________ : mound-shaped dripstone that builds on the floor of a cave• ________ : holes dug or drilled into the ground to reach an aquifer• ________________ : well that’s dug into an aquifer where the water is under pressure

• Although Earth’s _________ appears solid, much of it is composed of soil, sediment, & rock that contain countless small openings called ______________________.

• Because of the enormous volume of sediment & rock beneath Earth’s surface, enormous quantities of __________________ are stored in the pore spaces.

• The amount of pore space in a material—its _________________—depends on the size & variety of particles in a material.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

(questions should line up with the location of

the answer in your notes to the left)

Groundwater Movement• The region below Earth’s surface in which groundwater completely fills all the pores

of a material is called the ________________________________________.• The upper boundary of the zone of saturation is the _________________________.• In the _________________________, which is above the water table, materials are

moist, but because they are not saturated with water, air occupies much of the pores.• _________ pulls water down into the water table, while _______________________

pulls water up from the water table into unsaturated soil.• Soil in the zone of aeration would feel __________ because of capillary water,

but it would be unsaturated.• The water table’s depth typically varies ________ based on ____________________.

Return of the Aquifer• As we know, aquifers are underground water storage areas.• They are actually layers of ______________ subsurface material saturated with water.• Impermeable layers—_____________________—block groundwater flow

Springs• ____________ can emerge from sides of valleys, at the edges of perched water tables,

along faults, & from underground ______________________.• A spring is the result of groundwater that emerges at Earth’s ___________. Springs

can be caused by a variety of situations.• The temperature of groundwater that is _____________ through a spring is generally

the ___________________________________of the region in which it is located.• In some regions around the world, springs discharge water that is much _______ than

the average annual temperature. These springs are called warm springs or _____________________.

Geysers• _____________ are explosive hot springs in which water is heated past its boiling

point, causing it to vaporize. • The resulting water vapor builds up tremendous _________________, which fuels

eruptions at the surface.

Groundwater Weathering• The processes of dissolving and precipitating __________ play major roles in forming

limestone caves.• A natural underground opening with a connection to the Earth’s surface is a _______.• As groundwater infiltrates the cracks & joints of limestone formations, it gradually

_____________ the adjacent rock & enlarges these passages to form an interconnected _______________ of openings.

• A __________________ is a depression in the ground caused by the collapse of a cave or by the direct dissolution of limestone by acidic water.

• Limestone regions that have sinkholes & disappearing streams are said to have ______ _________________.

Dripstones• __________ are rock formations that are built over time as water drips through caves.• _______________ are dripstones that hang from a cave’s ceiling like icicles• _________________ are mound-shaped dripstones that build on the floor of a cave

Wells• ____________ are holes dug or drilled into the ground to reach an aquifer. • Overpumping from one well or multiple wells can result in a ____________________

& a general lowering of the water table.• ________________________ is the difference between the original water table and

the water level in a pumped well.

Artesian Wells• An artesian ________________ has water that’s under pressure.• The pressurized water in a well drilled into an artesian aquifer can spurt above the land

surface in the form of a fountain known as an _________________________.

SUMMARY: Read through your notes and use the new vocabulary you learned to summarize the concepts you saw today in class. HIGHLIGHT EACH key vocabulary word when you use it.

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