Groundwater

Front

What is the water table?

Back

The top of the saturated zone in an aquifer.

Front

How can people access water from an aquifer?

Back

By drilling a well that extends below the water table.

Front

What does impermeable mean in relation to rock?

Back

It means that water cannot flow through the rock.

Front

What is infiltration?

Back

The process by which water sinks into the ground.

Front

What is an aquifer?

Back

A geological formation that can store and transmit water.

Front

What is the saturated zone?

Back

The area in an aquifer where all the spaces between rocks and soil are filled with water.

Front

What is the unsaturated zone?

Back

The area above the water table where the spaces between rocks and soil contain both air and water.

Front

What is runoff?

Back

Water that flows over the ground surface after rain.

Front

What is permeability?

Back

The ability of a material to allow fluids to pass through it.

Front

What is the difference between a well and a spring?

Back

A well is drilled to access groundwater, while a spring is a natural flow of groundwater to the surface.