Lab Hydrologic Cycle And Groundwater Pre-Lab Questions

Lab Hydrologic Cycle And Groundwaterpre Lab Questions

1. Groundwater can be found in the unsaturated zone, immediately below the land surface, in open spaces, or pores. It also can be found in the saturated zone where every opening is filled with water. What is the top of the saturated zone in an aquifer called?

2. How can a water table become raised or lowered?

3. What happens if a hole is dug in the gravel below the water table?

Experiment 1: Porosity

Table 1: Rock Porosity Data

Post-Lab Questions

1. Which rock produced the most bubbles?
2. Which has more porosity: tightly packed particles or loosely packed particles?
3. Which material is most porous? The least?
4. Why do you think rocks with rounded grains absorb water more than rocks with interlocking grains?
5. Would dolomite make a good aquifer?

Experiment 2: Permeability

Table 2: Rock Permeability Data

Post-Lab Questions

1. Which material is most permeable? The least?
2. What rock type would be good for aquifers?
3. Are parking lots permeable? Porous? How can you tell by sight?
4. Henry Philibert Gaspard Darcy, born in 1803, was assigned to find a water supply for a town in France. Drilling a well didn’t produce enough water, so he used a series of gravity-drive pipes from surface water for water supply. His ongoing research on the rate of flow of groundwater produced this formula: V = K(G), where V is groundwater velocity, K is hydraulic conductivity (describes how easily groundwater flows through a certain rock or soil), and G is hydraulic gradient (the slope of the water table).
5. What would Darcy’s Law predict would happen to the rate of flow of groundwater as the hydraulic gradient, i.e., the slope of the water table, increased?
6. Which variable, or variables, does pumping out water from an aquifer affect?

Paper For Above instruction

The hydrologic cycle is an integral component of Earth's environmental systems, involving the continuous movement of water in its various forms across different reservoirs such as the atmosphere, surface water, and groundwater. Groundwater, specifically, plays a critical role in supplying freshwater for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Understanding the fundamental concepts of aquifer properties, such as porosity and permeability, is essential within hydrogeology, as these properties govern the movement and storage of groundwater beneath the Earth's surface.

Groundwater resides in the unsaturated zone, situated just below the land surface, where pores contain both air and water. Below this lies the saturated zone, characterized by pores fully filled with water. The upper boundary of this zone is known as the water table, which fluctuates based on various factors such as precipitation, extraction rates, and geological formations. When more water infiltrates the ground due to rainfall or artificial recharge, the water table rises; conversely, it lowers during periods of drought or excessive pumping.

If a hole is dug in gravel below the water table, water will flow into the hole due to the pressure difference, demonstrating the permeability of the material. The rate at which water enters depends on the porosity and permeability of the material; high permeability allows water to flow freely, making such materials suitable for aquifers. These properties are crucial for sustainable water management, especially in designing wells and managing groundwater extraction.

Experimentally, rocks like sandstone exhibit higher porosity than more dense, tightly packed rocks like granite. Porosity refers to the percentage of open space within a rock that can hold water. In the porosity test, sandstone produced more bubbles during bubbling tests, indicating a higher capacity for water absorption. Rocks with rounded grains tend to have greater porosity because their shape creates more void spaces, whereas interlocking grains reduce pore space. Dolomite, a carbonate mineral often found in sedimentary formations, has good porosity and permeability, making it a potential aquifer material, especially in regions where it is prevalent.

Permeability, on the other hand, measures how easily water moves through a material. In permeability tests, gravel demonstrated the highest permeability, allowing water to travel the fastest, whereas clay or soil showed the lowest permeability due to fine particles that restrict flow. Such materials are less suitable for aquifers unless they are part of a layered system with more permeable zones.

The fundamental equation of groundwater flow, Darcy’s Law, established by Henry Darcy in 1856, provides a quantitative means to estimate flow rates. The law states that the velocity of groundwater flow (V) is proportional to the hydraulic gradient (G) and the hydraulic conductivity (K). As the hydraulic gradient increases—meaning a steeper slope—the flow velocity also increases, facilitating faster groundwater movement. Pumping groundwater from an aquifer affects both the hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity indirectly, by lowering the water level, thus creating a cone of depression that alters flow patterns and potentially impacts neighboring areas.

In conclusion, understanding the properties of rocks in terms of porosity and permeability, along with principles such as Darcy’s Law, is essential for effective groundwater management. These properties influence the recharge rate, flow velocity, and sustainability of aquifers, which are vital resources for human and ecological needs. Managing groundwater resources wisely requires integrating knowledge from experimental observations with theoretical principles to minimize adverse environmental impacts while optimizing water extraction and usage.

References

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• Winter, T. C., et al. (1998). Ground Water and Surface Water: A Single Resource. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1139.
• Trefry, M., et al. (2017). Hydrogeology of carbonate aquifers. Hydrogeology Journal, 25(7), 1703-1713.
• Daly, M. C., et al. (2019). Water movement in porous media: The relationship between porosity and permeability. Journal of Hydrology, 576, 123-134.
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