groundwater hydrology - midterm exam

groundwater

water occupying the spaces between soil particles, cracks in rocks, or interstitial spaces in other forms of subsurface porous media

saturated groundwater

fully fills the pore space in the medium, define the height and location of the water table in nature

unsaturated groundwater

partially fills the pore space in the medium, typically found above saturated layers near the land surface

aquifer

region of saturated soil or other porous medium through which water moves/can be extracted

confining layer

geologic unit with low permeability

aquifuge

absolutely impermeable unit that will not transfer water

aquitard

layer of low permeability that can store groundwater and transmit it slowly from one aquifer to another

leaky confined aquifer

confined aquifer with an aquitard as one of its boundaries

perched aquifer

layer of saturated water that forms a groundwater lens due to accumulation above an impermeable layer

water table height

height above arbitrary datum corresponding to the depth below the surface where the porous medium first becomes completely saturated