Hydrologic Cycle

Groundwater
 Water, water everywhere
Oceans – 97.2%
Ice – 2.15%
Fresh water – 0.65%
 The Hydrologic Cycle:
Processes
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Runoff
Storage
Infiltration
The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle
 Energy for the Water Cycle
Sun
Gravity
 Related Processes
Weathering
Erosion
Delivery of sediment to the sea
Delivery of ions to the sea
What factors determine whether
precipitation will runoff or
infiltrate?
Earth materials: permeable or not
Land use/vegetation
Slope
Degree of saturation
Duration of precipitation
Intensity of precipitation
 Groundwater
Precipitation infiltrates
Water resides in pore spaces or porosity
Groundwater is in communication with
surface water
Exchange happens all the time
Springs bring groundwater out on the
surface
Maintains stream flow without precipitation
 Aquifers
Any Earth material that can hold and deliver
sufficient water for use is an aquifer
Aquifers have two basic properties:
Porosity - usually 5% or more
Permeability
Common aquifers:
Sand Gravel
Sandstone Limestone
Any highly fractured rock
 Groundwater
Water resides in zone of saturation
within aquifer
Above this is the zone of aeration
Boundary is the water table
Water tables move with relative rates of
recharge and discharge
Water table mimics topography – not flat!
 Groundwater
Advantages Disadvantages
Abundant Cost to drill wells
Clean – relatively Higher TDS (“Hard
free of pathogens water”)
Constant temperature Contamination is
More protected from difficult to discover
contamination Large volumes with
low concentrations of
contaminants are
difficult to clean
The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle
 Surface Water
Oceans
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds
Springs – groundwater becomes surface
water
 Surface Water
Advantages Disadvantages
Easily accessible Less abundant than
Easy to recognize groundwater
and treat Subject to climatic
contamination
variations in
May be cheaper to availability
produce
Contamination is
relatively easy
Lower TDS (“Soft
water”)  Temperature varies
greatly
Problems and concerns with
surface water

Availability
Too little = drought
Too much = flood
Contamination