What process of the water cycle does groundwater depend on?
Groundwater flows underground Some of the precipitation that falls onto the land infiltrates into the ground to become groundwater. If the water meets the water table (below which the soil is saturated), it can move both vertically and horizontally.
Do groundwater levels remain constant?
The water levels in aquifers is not often a constant. Groundwater levels first are dependent on recharge from infiltration of precipitation so when a drought hits the land surface it can impact the water levels below ground, too.
Where is groundwater in the water cycle?
Groundwater is the water beneath the surface of the ground in the zone of saturation where every pore space between rock and soil particles is saturated with water.
What is groundwater flow in the water cycle?
When precipitation reaches the earth’s surface, some of it will flow along the surface of the land and enter surface water like lakes, streams, and rivers, as runoff. The rest of it soaks or percolates into the soil, called recharge. This movement of water underground is called groundwater flow.
What is the role of groundwater in water cycle?
Groundwater plays a key role in the hydrologic cycle. As surface water deposits such as snow melt and precipitation recharge the groundwater, it slowly drains gradually towards a discharge point. When precipitation falls on a land surface, part of the water runs off into the lakes and rivers. This is called discharge.
What are the steps of the water cycle?
The water cycle consists of three major processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Evaporation is the process of a liquid’s surface changing to a gas. In the water cycle, liquid water (in the ocean, lakes, or rivers) evaporates and becomes water vapor.
How do I test my ground water level?
Groundwater level measurement is mostly performed by a submersible pressure transmitter. These hydrostatic level transmitters are small in diameter and directly suspended by their cable into the well, borehole, deep bore well or monitoring well.
What causes groundwater to rise?
Heavy rains or melting snow may cause the water table to rise, or heavy pumping of groundwater supplies may cause the water table to fall. Groundwater supplies are replenished, or recharged, by rain and snow melt that seeps down into the cracks and crevices beneath the land’s surface.
What factors influence groundwater flow?
Topography and geology are the dominant factors controlling groundwater flow. Storativity describes the property of an aquifer to store water. Hydraulic conductivity is measured by performing a pumping test, i.e. by pumping one well and observing the changes in hydraulic head in neighboring wells.
What is groundwater flow simple?
In hydrogeology, groundwater flow is defined as the “part of streamflow that has infiltrated the ground, entered the phreatic zone, and has been (or is at a particular time) discharged into a stream channel or springs; and seepage water.” It is governed by the groundwater flow equation.
How does groundwater move in the water cycle?
Groundwater flows underground Some of the precipitation that falls onto the land infiltrates into the ground to become groundwater. If the water meets the water table (below which the soil is saturated), it can move both vertically and horizontally.
How does the hydrologic cycle relate to surface water?
The Hydrologic Cycle and Interactions of Ground Water and Surface Water The hydrologic cycle describes the continuous movement of water above, on, and below the surface of the Earth. The water on the Earth’s surface–surface water–occurs as streams, lakes, and wetlands, as well as bays and oceans.
How does the Earth’s natural water cycle work?
Water moves underground downward and sideways, in great quantities, due to gravity and pressure. Eventually it emerges back to the land surface, into rivers, and into the oceans to keep the water cycle going. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth’s “natural” water cycle without human interference.
Which is the main liquid stage of the water cycle?
Oceans are the main liquid stage of the water cycle. They cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, hold 96.5 percent of the world’s water and are responsible for the creation of 85 percent of water vapor in the atmosphere.