Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Water Resources > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What is groundwater?

A

Water found in the void spaces beneath the surface of the earth. Can exist within layers of saturated rock, in cracks of material, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Water Budget Equation

A

P= R+ ET + I +(delta)S
P-Precipitation
R-Runoff
ET-Evapotranspiration
I-Interception
S-GW Storage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What percentage of water is groundwater? Answer both in terms of all water and in terms of freshwater

A

95% of liquid freshwater is GW, and 13% of all fresh water is liquid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Where does GW come from?

A

Precipitation recharges groundwater stores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Vadose Zone

A

All the material between Earth’s surface and the Zone of Saturation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Zone of Saturation

A

Area where GW flows beneath earth surface, all spaces between rock particles are filled with water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Water Table

A

The upper boundary of the Zone of Saturation in an unconfined aquifer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Capillary Fringe

A

Material of varying thickness that overlies the Water Table, water is drawn up into it through capillary action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

When is the World Day for Water (UN)?

A

March 22, established in 1998

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How does GW affect politics?

A

GW is an important resource for drinking water. Overpumping from one country could mean drought for another country, causing cross-border issues when it comes to aquifers. The distribution of water can dictate how much of a country’s budget goes towards purchasing or pumping drinking water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Lithology

A

Physical characteristics of a mineral composition (grain size, density of material)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Stratigraphy

A

described composition and age of sediment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Structures

A

Cracks folds, physical characteristics of geologic landscape

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Is GW basic or acidic? (generally)

A

GW is ty[ically acidic, able to dissolve rock and carry minerals (carbonic acid from limestone)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Karst

A

Terrain composed of numerous depressions in the landscape-sinkholes formed due to dissolution of limestone; lack of surface drainage (streams)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are caverns composed of? And how is it formed?

A

Dripstone; formed from the continual deposition of minerals which are dissolved in water and stay when water evaporates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Glacial Till

A

rock debris (clays, sands, gravel and boulders)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Glacial Outwash

A

deposits of rock transported due to the melting of glaciers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Alluvial Valleys

A

permeable formation which can hold a considerable amount of water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Alluvium

A

sediment deposited by flowing rivers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Tectonic Formations

A

Fissures/ fractures formed through tectonic activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is an issue with recharge in urban areas?

A

Impermeable surfaces, such as parking lots, prevent percolation through the vadose zone and reduce the rate of recharge, this can lead to downstream flooding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Pressure Surface/Potentiometric Surface

A

The level at which water appears when a confined aquifer is drilled through- due to release of pressure through small opening (the level to which the water will rise in a well)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Aquifer

A

Underground water bearing geologic formation that stores and yields usable water

25
Q

Consolidated Rock

A

Tightly bound geologic material, impervious, does not allow GW to flow easily

26
Q

Unconsolidated Rock

A

Loosely bound geologic material (sand or gravel) that allows GW to flow

27
Q

Fractured Aquifer

A

In consolidated rock that has enough fractures and fissures to store usable water

28
Q

Unconfined Aquifer

A

Aquifer with no confining layer between water table and earth’s surface

29
Q

Confined aquifer

A

Aquifer overlain with confining layer

30
Q

Saturated Thickness

A

Total water bearing thickness of an aquifer

31
Q

Aquitard

A

Geologic formation that prevents water flow from one aquifer to another

32
Q

Aquiclude

A

Formation containing water which does not transmit significant amounts of water

33
Q

Aquifuge

A

formation that does not contain or transmit water

34
Q

Perched Aquifer

A

Localized zone of saturation above water level held by impermeable layer

35
Q

Ogallala Aquifer

A

Largest aquifer in US, about 175,000 sq mi, has been overpumped by US

36
Q

Porosity Equation

A

Porosity= Vvoid/Vtotal
or Specific Retention + Specific Yield

37
Q

Porosity

A

Ratio of void space to the total volume of formation, expressed in percentage

37
Q

Primary Porosity

A

intergranular porosity formed during primary formation of rock

37
Q

Secondary Porosity

A

Spaces created by tectonic activity (fractures and fissures) or anything post rock formation

38
Q

Total Porosity

A

All pore space in the sample

39
Q

Effective Porosity

A

Only interconnected pore space of the sample

40
Q

REV

A

Representative elementary volume, a large enough sample size to define a mean porosity

41
Q

Transmissivity

A

Rate at which water moves laterally through saturated thickness of aquifer (with hydraulic gradient of 1)

42
Q

Transmissivity Equation

A

i=dh/dl=1

43
Q

Specific Yield

A

ratio of the volume of water that drains from the saturated rock to the total volume of rock; can also be gathered from ternary diagram

44
Q

Specific Yield Equation

A

S=V water drain due to gravity/V Total sample

45
Q

Specific Retention

A

ratio of volume of water an aquifer can retain against gravity drainage per the total volume of aquifer

46
Q

Permeability

A

k; the ability of a material to transmit a fluid, a measure of how fast a fluid can travel through sediment

47
Q

The smaller the size of the sediment grains…

A

The larger the surface contacts

48
Q

Increased frictional resistance…

A

decreased intrinsic permeability

49
Q

Poorly sorted material is…

A

less conductive

50
Q

Hydraulic conductivity (K)

A

The proportionality constant in Darcy’s law, which relates the amount of water which will flow
through a unit cross-sectional area of an aquifer under a unit gradient of hydraulic head
OR
Coefficient that describes the ratio at which water can move through a permeable medium

51
Q

Bernoulli’s Equation

A

formulation of energy loss during fluid flow

52
Q

Groundwater flows…

A

from the top aquifer to the bottom aquifer

53
Q

Hydraulic Gradient

A

Slope of GW table

54
Q

Darcy’s Law Equation

A

Q=A x K x delta H/L

a-cross sectional area of flow
k-hydraulic conductivity
delta h-change in height
L-length

55
Q

Darcy’s Law Definition

A

rate at which a fluid flows through a permeable medium

56
Q

Seepage/ Average velocity

A

specific discharge/ effective porosity

Water Resources (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions