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Groundwater. A. Hydrosphere. Hydrosphere – all of the water on and in Earth’s crust 97% oceans 3% freshwater 79% in polar ice caps, glaciers Most of the rest is groundwater. The oceans are the ultimate source of water for land Evaporation -> cloud formation -> precipitation
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A. Hydrosphere Hydrosphere – all of the water on and in Earth’s crust • 97% oceans • 3% freshwater • 79% in polar ice caps, glaciers • Most of the rest is groundwater
The oceans are the ultimate source of water for land • Evaporation -> cloud formation -> precipitation • MOST precip. on land infiltrates the ground & becomes groundwater • Small portions become runoff
B. Where does groundwater go? 1. Infiltrates through porous Earth material 2. Stored in pore spaces of rocks and sediments a. Zone of aeration – above the water table, pores contain mostly air b. Water table – upper boundary of zone of saturation c. Zone of saturation – depth where all pores are filled with water
3. Water table level varies • Wet season = higher water table (closer to surface) • Drought = lower
4. Aquifers • permeable layer of material through which groundwater flows • Permeability – ability of a material to let water pass through a. Sand & gravel = high permeability b. Fine-grained materials (clay) = lowpermeability