Aice Environmental Management Chapter 6

wetlands

area where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or during periods of the year.

groundwater seepage

when excessive amounts of groundwater push to the surface as a spring or an area of saturated soil.

soil moisture

the amount of water found in the soil.

permeable

a material that allows liquid to pass through it (sandstone is a permeable rock type).

water table

an underground boundary between the soil surface and the area where groundwater saturates the rocks.

discharge zone

the zone where water originating from an aquifer flows into water courses such as lakes, rivers, and wetlands.

natural recharge

water that moves from the land surface or unsaturated zone into an aquifer. Where porous rock at the surface allows water to seep into an aquifer.

confined aquifer

an aquifer below the land surface that is found between layers of impermeable material.

aquitard

a zone within the Earth that restricts the flow of groundwater from one aquifer to another; comprised of either clay or layers of non-porous rock.

artesian well

underground water that is under pressure. When punctured by a well or borehole the water will rise to the surface.

unconfined aquifer

an aquifer in which the water table is at atmospheric pressure. There is no permeable layer between the water table and the ground surface.

perched aquifer

an aquifer that occurs above a regional water-table. It is usually a relatively small body of water that lies above the large aquifer due to an impermeable rock layer blocking the downward flow of water.

ice sheets

the mass of glacial land ice that covers the polar regions.

ice caps

found in mountainous areas such as the Himalayas and Andes.

water security

the ability to access sufficient quantities of clean water to maintain adequate standards of food and manufacturing of goods, adequate sanitation and sustainable health care.

sanitation

the provision of clean drinking water and sewage disposal.

natural disaster

an event such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane, that causes great damage or loss of life.

contamination

the action of making or being made impure by pollution.

salt water intrusion

the movement of salt water into fresh water aquifers.

ecological demand

the amount of water an ecosystem requires to continue functioning.