5.3 - Fluid flow in soils

Question 1

Explain the difference between permeable, permeability, and hydraulic conductivity

Answer 1

Permeable - a material or membrane allowing liquids or gasses to pass through it
Permeability - describes how easily A FLUID can flow through the rock or unconsolidated sediment and how easy it will be to extract the fluid.
Hydraulic conductivity - describes how easily WATER can flow through the rock or unconsolidated sediment and how easy it will be to extract the water.

Question 2

Aquifer

Answer 2

A body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater that readily transmits water to wells in sufficient quantities to be used for drinking water supply, or for commercial, industrial, or agricultural processes.

Question 3

Aquitard (also called a confining layer)

Answer 3

A zone within the earth that restricts the flow of groundwater and capable of storing large quantities.

Question 4

Unconfined aquifer

Answer 4

aquifers not separated from the earths surface by a flow impending layer and therefore in contact with the atmosphere.

Question 5

Confined aquifer

Answer 5

Layers of impermeable material (aquitards) above and below the aquifer.

Question 6

Hydrostratigraphy

Question 7

Total head

Question 8

Pressure head

Question 9

Elevation head

Question 10

Define and explain bernoulli’s equation and darcy’s law (including figure)

Question 11

Explain the impact of heterogeneity (fractures, effective porosity, etc. On hydraulic conductivity/permeability or formations)