ch11 flashcards

Question 1

zone of aeration (vadose zone)

Answer 1

The subsurface region where pore spaces in soil and rock contain both air and water; water here is not fully saturating the material

Question 2

soil water belt

Answer 2

The near-surface portion of the vadose zone where soil moisture is readily available for plants and can be lost to evaporation or transpiration

Question 3

intermediate belt

Answer 3

A portion of the vadose zone below the soil water belt and above the capillary fringe, often holding water that slowly moves downward to the water table

Question 4

capillary fringe

Answer 4

The zone just above the water table where groundwater is drawn upward by capillary action, partially filling pores with water

Question 5

zone of saturation (phreatic zone)

Answer 5

The subsurface area where all pore spaces are completely filled with water; water in this zone is called groundwater

Question 6

groundwater table (water table)

Answer 6

The upper boundary of the zone of saturation, marking the level below which all pore spaces are filled with water

Question 7

influent (losing) streams

Answer 7

Streams that lose water to the groundwater system because their channel lies above the water table, causing water to seep down into the ground

Question 8

effluent (gaining) streams

Answer 8

Streams that gain water from the groundwater system, as the water table is higher than the streambed, causing groundwater to flow into the stream

Question 9

springs

Answer 9

Natural outflows of groundwater to the Earth’s surface, occurring where the water table intersects the ground surface

Question 10

porosity

Answer 10

The percentage of a material’s total volume that is made up of pore spaces, determining how much water it can hold

Question 11

permeability

Answer 11

The ability of a material to transmit fluids, controlled by the size, shape, and connectivity of its pore spaces

Question 12

perched water table

Answer 12

A localized zone of saturation above the main water table, created by an impermeable layer (aquiclude) that traps water above it

Question 13

aquifer

Answer 13

A rock or sediment layer that is permeable enough to store and transmit significant quantities of groundwater, supplying wells and springs

Question 14

aquiclude

Answer 14

A layer of rock or sediment that lacks permeability and prevents groundwater flow, acting as a barrier to water movement

Question 15

artesian system (confined aquifer)

Answer 15

A groundwater system in which water is confined under pressure between impermeable layers, allowing wells drilled into it to flow freely without pumping

Question 16

groundwater pollution

Answer 16

Contamination of groundwater by harmful substances (e.g., chemicals, waste) that can make it unsafe for human use and damage ecosystems

Question 17

withdrawal (groundwater pumping)

Answer 17

The process of removing groundwater from an aquifer, potentially causing issues like lowered water tables, subsidence, and reduced flow to springs and streams

Question 18

Karst topography

Answer 18

A landscape formed by the dissolution of soluble rock (limestone), characterized by features like sinkholes, disappearing streams, and underground drainage systems

Question 19

sinkhole

Answer 19

A depression in the Earth’s surface formed by the collapse of a cave roof or the dissolution of limestone near the surface

Question 20

blind valley

Answer 20

A valley that abruptly ends as its stream disappears underground, often into a cave system, common in karst landscapes

Question 21

disappearing stream

Answer 21

A stream that flows into a sinkhole or fissure in a karst area and continues its course below ground

Question 22

haystack hills

Answer 22

Isolated, steep-sided hills in karst regions, formed by differential dissolution of limestone, leaving cone- or tower-like remnants

Question 23

cave (cavern)

Answer 23

A natural underground hollow formed by the dissolution of soluble rock, often with passages and chambers decorated by mineral deposits

Question 24

speleothems

Answer 24

Cave formations (like stalactites, stalagmites, dripstone, flowstone) created by the deposition of minerals from dripping or flowing groundwater

Question 25

dripstone

Answer 25

A general term for speleothems (stalactites and stalagmites) formed as calcite is deposited from dripping water in caves

Question 26

flowstone

Answer 26

A sheet-like speleothem formed as mineral-rich water flows along cave walls or floors, depositing calcite in thin layers

Question 27

confined (artesian) aquifer

Answer 27

An aquifer bounded above and below by aquicludes, where groundwater is under pressure, potentially creating artesian wells

Question 28

drawdown

Answer 28

The lowering of the water table around a pumped well, forming a cone of depression in the water table surface

Question 29

gaining stream (effluent stream)

Answer 29

A stream that receives additional water from groundwater seepage, increasing its flow

Question 30

geode

Answer 30

A hollow, rounded nodule of rock lined on the inside with mineral crystals, formed by mineral precipitation in cavities within rocks

Question 31

geyser

Answer 31

A type of hot spring that intermittently ejects a column of hot water and steam due to the buildup and release of pressure underground

Question 32

groundwater

Answer 32

Water stored in the pore spaces of soil and rock beneath the surface, supplying springs, wells, and sustaining stream flow

Question 33

hot spring

Answer 33

A spring that issues hot water, often heated by geothermal processes or proximity to magma bodies

Question 34

losing stream (influent stream)

Answer 34

A stream that loses water to the groundwater system as it flows over permeable beds above the water table

Question 35

recharge

Answer 35

The process by which water infiltrates and replenishes an aquifer, raising the water table

Question 36

saturated zone

Answer 36

Another term for the zone of saturation, where all pores are completely filled with water

Question 37

stalactite

Answer 37

A speleothem hanging from the ceiling of a cave, formed by dripping mineral-rich water that leaves behind calcite

Question 38

stalagmite

Answer 38

A speleothem rising from a cave floor, formed by dripping water that deposits calcite upward, often directly below a stalactite

Question 39

unconfined aquifer

Answer 39

An aquifer open to the surface, receiving recharge directly from infiltration of rain and surface waters

Question 40

unsaturated zone (vadose zone)

Answer 40

The zone above the water table where pore spaces are not fully saturated with water; air is present in some pores

Question 41

water table

Answer 41

The upper surface of the saturated zone, separating the unsaturated zone above from the fully saturated zone below

Question 42

well

Answer 42

A hole drilled into an aquifer to access groundwater; water levels in the well correspond to the water table in unconfined aquifers

Question 43

cone of depression

Answer 43

A conical lowering of the water table around a well due to withdrawal of groundwater faster than recharge can replace it

Question 44

speleothem (alternative definition)

Answer 44

A mineral deposit formed in a cave by the precipitation of minerals from dripping or flowing groundwater, including stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone