Geology: Hydrologic Cycle/water cycle part two

What is an aquifer?

an underground layer of porous rock, sand, or gravel that holds and transmits groundwater.

What properties define a good aquifer?

Sand and gravel that have High permeability

What properties define A poor aquifer?

Silt and Clay that has low permeability from aquitards

What are the three types of aquifers?

unconfined, confined, perched

How are the aquifers polluted or overused?

polluted by contaminants from human activities, including agricultural runoff, industrial waste, landfills, and chemical spills. They are overused when more water is pumped out than naturally replenished

What is an aquiclude, and what are their properties?

a 100% impermeable layer that prevents any water movement through it, effectively separating aquifers completely.

What is an aquitard, and what are their properties?

is a low-permeability geologic layer that restricts, but does not completely block, groundwater flow, allowing slow vertical movement between aquifers.

What are springs and artesian wells?

pressurized flow of water from a confined aquifer

What do humans do to alter the groundwater system?

overpumping, land subsidence, pollution, reducing recharge, artificial recharge, changing natural flow paths

What are some ways that groundwater can become depleted?

overpumping for human uses like drinking, irrigation, and agriculture

What is meant by impervious surfaces, and why is it a big deal

hard, non-porous areas like rooftops, sidewalks, and roads that prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground. leading to increased stormwater runoff, flooding, erosion, water pollution

What are some potential solutions to these issues?

increase vegatation, managing runoff with rain gardens, green roof and etc, permeable paving

How & where do caves form?

where acidic groundwater slowly dissolves soluble rock, a process called solutional cave formation. In karast landscapes

What can be concluded if you see a dry cave?

it formed differently than wet caves or that a significant change in the water table occurred since its formation.

What are stalactites , and where do they form?

mineral formations that hang like icicles from a cave's ceiling, form in limestone caves

what are stalagmites, and where do they form?

mineral formation that grow upward from the cave floor, forms in limestone caves

What do stalagmites and stalactites tell us about climate change?

stalagmites and stalactites are sensitive to temperature and rainfall. they can determine past temperature and rainfall patterns.

What is karst topography

 landscape formed by the dissolution of limestone/soluble rock.

Map clues = sinkholes, disappearing streams, springs, closed depressions, and lack of surface drainage.

What are some hazards associated with groundwater and karst terranes?

Sinkhole formation, flooding, groundwater contaimination

What is perhaps the biggest geologic hazard that faces Shippensburg? - Why?

Sinkholes, because:

The region is underlain by soluble limestone. Human activity accelerates natural dissolution. Sudden ground collapse poses a threat to buildings, roads, and water systems.