Groundwater

Soil Water Zone. .

Vadose Zone.

Capillary Zone. . .

Saturated Zone. Aquifer.

Aquitard.

Aquiclude. Piezometric Surface

Well. Porosity, n.

Specific Retention, Sr. Specific Yield, Sy. -

-is both an important direct source of supply that is tapped by wells and a significant indirect source, since surface streams are often supplied by subterranean water -is water at which pressure is equal or greater than atmospheric pressure beyond the soil surface -is a major source of water supply for municipalities, agriculture and industry, especially in arid or semiarid areas, where surface water is limited -Its manifestations are the channel flow during dry season and occurrence of springs Extends from the ground surface down through the major root zone, which varies with soil type and vegetation Extends from the lower edge of the soil water zone to the upper limit of the capillary zone. This zone is partially saturated and water is held in place by capillary forces Extends from the water table up to the limit of capillary rise, which varies inversely with the pore size of the soil (i.e. 2.5 cm for fine gravel to more than 200 cm for silt Zone beneath the water table. All voids are filled with water A saturated permeable geologic unit that can transmit significant quantities of water under ordinary hydraulic gradient. There are three types of aquifer which are the unconfined, confined and leaky. Saturated but poorly permeable stratum that impedes groundwater movement and does not yield water freely to wells but may transmit appreciable water to adjacent aquifers. A geologic formation which has no interconnected openings and cannot hold or transmit water . Hydrostatic pressure level of water in the aquifer, defined by the water level that occurs in a lined penetrating well A vertical hole dug into the earth penetrating an aquifer. Measure of the capacity of a formation to contain water. Ratio of the volume of voids Vv to the total volume V Ability or capacity of aquifer to retain water. Volume of water retained over bulk volume volume of water released from an unconfined

Storage Coefficient, S. .

Hydraulic Conductivity, K Darcys Law:

Hydraulic Conductivity, K:

Seepage Velocity, Vs: Transmissivity, T:

Intrinsic Permeability, k:

Anisotrophic Aquifer

permeameter

aquifer per unit surface area per unit head decline in the water table. Difference between porosity and specific retention Volume of water that an aquifer releases from or takes into storage per unit surface area per unit change in piezometric head . Ability of an aquifer or formation to transmit water. The flow rate through porous media is proportional to the head loss and inversely proportional to the length of the flow path Rate at which water of prevailing kinematic viscosity is transmitted through a unit width of aquifer under a unit hydraulic gradient Actual flow thru the pore spaces. Rate at which water of prevailing kinematic viscosity is transmitted through a unit width of aquifer under a unit hydraulic gradient. Ability to transmit fluid. Property of the medium only. It is independent of fluid properties. Possesses units of area, 1 darcy = 0.987 mm2. Geologic systems having hydraulic conductivity differs in one or more directions due to the processes of deposition and layering that occur is used in the laboratory to measure K by maintaining flow through a small column of material and material and measuring flow rate and head loss.