EARTHSC 1G03 Lecture Notes - Capillary Fringe, Aquifer, Gabbro

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: EARTHSC 1G03
• Professor: Maureen Padden

Document Summary

Ground water: fresh water beneath the ground surface, filling pore space b/c grains in bodies of sediment and clastic sedimentary rock, and filling cracks/crevices; roughly 1% of water on earth. Source of groundwater is snow and rain which percolates down to the water table (~15%). Position of the water table depends on seasonal factors - only water in the saturated zone is. Capillary fringe: transition zone where water is located higher than the water table due to capillary effects. In rocks with smaller pore spaces (e. g. clay) we see a higher water level than rocks with larger pore spaces (i. e. gravel). Porosity: percentage of rock or sediment that consists of voids or opening for water to be held. Low %: glacial till, crystalline rock, shale. Permeability: capacity of a rock to transmit a fluid such as water or petroleum through pores or fractures. Poor: clay, glacial till, crystalline rock, shale, conglomerate.