Marvin Dela Cruz

BSCE-4th year
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
The hydrologic cycle begins with the evaporation of water from the
surface of the ocean. As moist air is lifted, it cools and water
vapor condenses to form clouds. Moisture is transported around the
globe until it returns to the surface as precipitation. Once the water
reaches the ground, one of two processes may occur; 1) some of the
water may evaporate back into the atmosphere or 2) the water may
penetrate the surface and become groundwater. Groundwater either
seeps its way to into the oceans, rivers, and streams, or is released
back into the atmosphere through transpiration. The balance of water
that remains on the earth's surface is runof, which empties into lakes,
rivers and streams and is carried back to the oceans, where the cycle
begins again.
Evaporation of warm surface water increases the amount of
moisture in the colder, drier air flowing immediately above the lake
surface. With continued evaporation, water vapor in the cold
air condenses to form ice-crystal clouds, which are transported toward
shore.
AQUIFER

An aquifer is an underground
layer of water-bearing permeable
rock, rock fractures or
unconsolidated materials
(gravel, sand, or silt) from
which groundwater can be extracted
using a water well. The study of
water flow in aquifers and the
characterization of aquifers is
called hydrogeology. Related terms include aquitard, which is a bed of
low permeability along an aquifer, and aquiclude (or aquifuge), which
is a solid, impermeable area underlying or overlying an aquifer. If the
impermeable area overlies the aquifer, pressure could cause it to
become a confined aquifer.
AQUICLUDE

Related terms include aquitard, which is a bed of low permeability along an

aquifer, and aquiclude (or aquifuge), which is a solid, impermeable area
underlying or overlying an aquifer. If the impermeable area overlies the aquifer
pressure could cause it to become a confined aquifer.

AQUITARD

An aquitard is a zone within the earth that restricts the flow of groundwater
from one aquifer to another. A completely impermeable aquitard is called an
aquiclude or aquifuge. Aquitards comprise layers of either clay or non-porous
rock with low hydraulic conductivity.

ZONE OF SATURATION

The phreatic zone, or zone of saturation, is the area in an aquifer, below

the water table, in which relatively all pores and fractures are saturated with
water.
The phreatic zone defines the lower edge of the vadose zone.
The phreatic zone size, color, and depth may fluctuate with changes of season,
and during wet and dry periods.

WATER TABLE

The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation.

The water table should not be confused with the water level in a deeper
well. If a deeper aquifer has a lower permeable unit that confines the upward
flow, then the water level in this aquifer may rise to a level that is greater or less
than the elevation of the actual water table. The elevation of the water in this
deeper well is dependent upon the pressure in the deeper aquifer and is referred
to as the potentiometric surface, not the water table.
CONFINED AQUIFER

A confined aquifer is an aquifer below the land surface that is saturated

with water. Layers of impermeable material are both above and below
the aquifer, causing it to be under pressure so that when the aquifer is
penetrated by a well, the water will rise above the top of the aquifer.

UNCONFINED AQUIFERS

Unconfined aquifers are those into which water seeps from the ground
surface directly above the aquifer. Confined aquifers are those in which an
impermeable dirt/rock layer exists that prevents water from seeping into
the aquifer from the ground surface located directly above
RECHARGED AREA

Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a

hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to
groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an
aquifer.