Chapter 15 Groundwater （地下水）.pptVIP

Chapter 15  Groundwater (地 下 水) 92.12.30 Water In The Ground Groundwater is defined as all the water in the ground occupying the pore spaces within rocks and sediments. Groundwater is present everywhere beneath the land surface and the ocean bottom. Most ground water originates from precipitation and surface water. Groundwater is always in motion. Russian scientists encountered water at more than 11 km below the surface. Water Table Water table slopes toward the nearest stream or lake. In fine-grained sediment, a narrow fringe immediately above the water table is kept saturated by capillary attraction. Capillary attraction is the adhesive force between a liquid and a solid that causes water to be drawn into small openings. In humid regions, the water table is a subdued imitation of the land surface above it. It is high beneath hills and low beneath valleys. Porosity The porosity of a sedimentary rock is affected by several factors: The sizes and shapes of the rock particles. The compactness of their arrangement. The weight of any overlying rock or sediment. The extent to which the pores become filled with the cement that holds the particles together. The porosity of igneous and metamorphic rocks generally is low. Porosity Porosity is the percentage of the total volume of a soil or rock that consists of open spaces, called pores. It is porosity that determines the amount of water that a given volume of soil or rock can contain. Recharge and Discharge of Groundwater The process by which groundwater is replenished is called recharge. The process by which groundwater reaches and flows from the surface is called discharge. An area of the landscape where precipitation seeps downward beneath the surface and reaches an aquifer is called a recharge area. The water moves slowly toward discharge areas, where subsurface water is discharged to streams or to lakes, ponds, swamps or ocean. Recharge and Discharge Areas In humid regions, recharge areas encompass nearly a