GGR206H1 Final: Final Exam Notes
Document Summary
Refers to water beneath the land surface, residing in spaces between earth materials (sand, silt, clay) and rock openings. Soil zone: at the ground surface where water infiltrates. Zone of saturation: at the water table. Layers of rock or unconsolidated deposits that contain sufficient saturated material to yield significant quantities of water. Less permeable formations that transmit water more slowly. Does not yield usable quantities of water. No confining bed above it, usually open to infiltration from the surface. Used to measure the hydraulic head, the elevation to which the water rises in a piezometer. Circulation is dictated by the recharge and discharge processes. Hydraulic conductivity describes the ease that water can move through pore spaces or fractures. It is best when the soil water content is near saturation. The process whereby aquifers are resupplied from surface water, mainly by the infiltration pf precipitation in soil. Precipitation infiltrates areas more than others (high critical recharge areas)
