"An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials."
A layer of rock, sand or gravel that contains and transmits groundwater.
Aquifer Properties: Aquifer properties include the porosity, permeability, specific yield, and storage coefficient of an aquifer. Porosity is the measure of the void spaces in a rock or sediment that can store water. Permeability is the measure of the ease of flow of water through the sediment or rock. Specific yield is the amount of water that will drain under the effect of gravity when an aquifer is completely saturated, and the storage coefficient is the amount of water that can be stored in an aquifer.
Groundwater Flow: Groundwater flow refers to the movement of water underground through soil, sediment, and rocks. It is influenced by factors such as the slope of the aquifer, the permeability of the material, precipitation, and pumping.
Water Table: The water table is the top of the saturated zone in an aquifer where the pore spaces are filled with water.
Aquifer Recharge: Aquifer recharge is the process of water replenishing an aquifer through precipitation, infiltration, and percolation.
Aquifer Depletion: Aquifer depletion refers to the overuse or excessive extraction of groundwater, which can lead to the drying up of wells, and sinking or subsidence of the ground.
Groundwater Monitoring: Groundwater monitoring involves collecting and analyzing data related to the water level, quality, and flow rates in an aquifer. It is essential for managing and sustaining groundwater resources.
Aquifer Management: Aquifer management involves the activities necessary to protect, conserve, and sustainably use the groundwater resources of an aquifer.
Groundwater Contamination: Groundwater contamination refers to the presence of harmful substances in the groundwater that pose a threat to public health and the environment.
Groundwater Treatment: Groundwater treatment refers to the process of removing contaminants from groundwater to make it suitable for drinking or other uses.
Groundwater Modeling: Groundwater modeling involves creating computer-based models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport to predict the behavior of an aquifer under different conditions.
Well Design and Construction: Well design and construction involves designing and building wells that allow for the efficient extraction of groundwater while minimizing the risk of contamination or damage to the aquifer.
Aquifer Connectivity: Aquifer connectivity refers to the hydrological connections between different aquifers and the surface water bodies that supply them.
Surface Water-Groundwater Interaction: Surface water-groundwater interaction refers to the exchange of water between surface water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands and the underlying groundwater.
Climate Change and Aquifers: Climate change can affect the availability and quality of groundwater resources, particularly in areas that are already under stress due to overuse or contamination.
Aquifer Mapping: Aquifer mapping involves creating maps of the location, extent, and properties of aquifers to help with water resource management, planning, and decision-making.
Unconfined Aquifer: An aquifer where the water table is the upper boundary and it is not confined by an impermeable layer.
Confined Aquifer: It involves water that is found above a rock layer, which is typically incapable of transmitting water.
Leaky Aquifer: An aquifer that has a highly permeable layer beneath that is not fully impermeable but is harder to transmit water than the underlying layer.
Artesian Aquifer: It is a type of confined aquifer that occurs under pressure and is able to rise above the level of the surrounding water table.
Karst Aquifer: This type of aquifer forms in limestone rocks that are highly soluble in water, leading to the formation of caves, sinkholes, and other features.
Fractured Aquifer: An aquifer where groundwater flows through or between fractures in rock or other subsurface materials.
Basaltic Aquifer: An aquifer found within layers of basalt rock or lava flows.
Alluvial Aquifer: An aquifer composed of alluvial material that is deposited by flowing water.
Bedrock Aquifer: An aquifer where the groundwater lies in cracks and permeable fractures in solid rock.
Coastal Aquifer: An aquifer that occurs beneath coastal regions, with a significant impact from tidal and seawater intrusion.
"Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well."
"Water from aquifers can be sustainably harvested through the use of qanats."
"The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology."
"Aquitard is a bed of low permeability along an aquifer."
"Aquiclude (or aquifuge) is a solid, impermeable area underlying or overlying an aquifer, the pressure of which could create a confined aquifer."
"The classification of aquifers is as follows: Saturated versus unsaturated; aquifers versus aquitards; confined versus unconfined; isotropic versus anisotropic; porous, karst, or fractured; transboundary aquifer."
"Challenges for using groundwater include: overdrafting, groundwater-related subsidence of land, groundwater becoming saline, groundwater pollution."
"Overdrafting is extracting groundwater beyond the equilibrium yield of the aquifer."
"Groundwater-related subsidence of land can occur due to excessive groundwater extraction."
"Groundwater can become saline."
"An aquiclude (or aquifuge) is a solid, impermeable area underlying or overlying an aquifer."
"Aquifers can be classified as confined or unconfined based on their pressure conditions."
"Aquifers can be porous, karst, or fractured depending on their properties."
"An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials."
"The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology."
"Water from aquifers can be sustainably harvested through the use of qanats."
"Groundwater pollution can occur due to various factors such as industrial activities, agricultural practices, and improper waste disposal."
"Aquifers are water-bearing layers, while aquitards are beds of low permeability along an aquifer."
"Some challenges for using groundwater include overdrafting, subsidence of land, salinization, and pollution."