Untitled Flashcards Set

Groundwater

A plentiful and renewable resource beneath the Earth's surface, used for drinking, irrigation, and industry.

Soil Water Zone (Vadose Zone)

The uppermost layer closest to the surface that contains water and air in pore spaces, critical for infiltration.

Capillary Zone

A subsurface zone located beneath the soil water zone where water is held by capillary action.

Saturated Zone (Phreatic Zone)

The deepest zone where all pore spaces are completely filled with water, with the top called the water table.

Unconfined Aquifers

Aquifers where the upper boundary is the water table, allowing direct recharge from rainfall.

Confined Aquifers (Artesian Aquifers)

Aquifers where groundwater is held between two impermeable layers and is under pressure.

Leaky Aquifers (Semi-Confined Aquifers)

Intermediate aquifers overlain by aquitards that allow limited vertical water movement.

Porosity (n)

The percentage of void space in a rock or sediment that determines water storage capacity of an aquifer.

Permeability (k)

A measure of the ability of a material to transmit fluids, depending on pore size and connectivity.

Storage Coefficient (S)

Describes the volume of water an aquifer releases or absorbs per area for a unit change in water level.

Transmissibility (T)

An aquifer's capacity to transmit water per unit width under a unit hydraulic gradient.

Darcy's Law

A principle stating that groundwater flow rate is proportional to hydraulic gradient and medium's permeability.