Goundwater
Although 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, 97 percent of it is contained in the oceans and is too salty to drink (Cunningham and Saigo, 1992). Therefor, fresh water is a precious resource that in some areas of the world is so scarce, that people will fight wars over it. About 25 percent of the world's fresh water is groundwater. Although groundwater is not as accessible as surface water (lakes, rivers and streams), people are willing to dig wells to obtain it in areas where the climate is too dry to allow much surface water. Many farmers pump water from wells to support irrigation. This is often done with windmills, a very cheap form of energy. In some dry areas ...
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may seep into the groundwater feeding your well.
The purpose of this project is to explore the subject of groundwater, its place in the water cycle, how it seeps through the ground and how it accumulates in underground pockets called aquifers. The project will also examine the many uses of groundwater in agriculture as well as environmental problems that are presently threatening the quantity and quality of groundwater reserves.
THE WATER CYCLE
The water cycle is a constant movement of water in the air, in the ground and on the surface of the Earth. It starts when water evaporates from plants, the ground, lakes, rivers and oceans. This is called evapotranspiration.
As the vapor rises, the surrounding air gets colder and colder. The dew point is the temperature at which water begins to condense (change into it's liquid form). At the dew point, it clouds form. Clouds consist of tiny water droplets which remain suspended in the air until they become too large for turbulence to ...
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by gravity, it follows curved.
The rock or dirt immediately beneath the earth's surface is made up of solids and voids. The voids are cracks in the rock, air pockets or sand. All water beneath the surface is in these spaces and is called underground or subsurface water. Subsurface water can be found in two different zones: One zone is immediately underneath the surface and contains water and air in the voids. This is called the unsaturated zone. It is almost always has a second zone called the saturated zone right beneath it. The water in the saturated zone is called groundwater and is the only water used in wells and springs.
AQUIFERS AND ARTESIAN WELLS
As water seeps ...
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Goundwater. (2008, February 4). Retrieved April 18, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Goundwater/78492
"Goundwater." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 4 Feb. 2008. Web. 18 Apr. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Goundwater/78492>
"Goundwater." Essayworld.com. February 4, 2008. Accessed April 18, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Goundwater/78492.
"Goundwater." Essayworld.com. February 4, 2008. Accessed April 18, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Goundwater/78492.
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