Groundwater and Karst Topography

sinkhole

a depression produced in a region where groundwater has dissolved and removed soluble rock(limestone mostly).; when the ceiling of a cavern collapses.

spring

a flow of groundwater that emerges naturally at the ground surface due to the water table rising.

well

a hole bored(dug below the water table)into the zone of saturation.

permeability

a material's ability to transmit a fluid(water).

stalagmite

a mound or tapering column rising from the floor of a cave, formed of calcium carbonate deposited by dripping water.

cavern

a naturally formed underground chamber.

stalactite

a tapering structure hanging like an icicle from the roof of a cave, formed of calcium carbonate deposited by dripping water.

artesian well

a well drilled through impermeable layers to reach waterunder pressure and capable of rising to the surface without being pumped.

geyser

an intermittent hot spring /fountain in which a column of hot water shoots up with great force at various intervals.

aquiclude

impermeable rock/sediment layers that DO NOT transmit water.

karst topography

landscape that has been shaped by the dissolving power of groundwater in limestone-rich areas.

cone of depression

occurs in an aquifer when groundwater is pumped from a well causing a dip in the water table in the area of the well.

aquifer

permeable rock layers/sediments that transmit water freely.

zone of aeration

the area underground where mostly air fills all of the pore spaces in the rock/sediment; above water table.

zone of saturation

the area underground where water fills all of the pore spaces in the rock/sediment; below water table.

saltwater intrusion

the movement of saline/salt water into freshwater aquifers, which can lead to contamination of drinking water sources.

porosity

the percentage of total volume of rock or sediment that consists of pore (empty/air) space.

water table

the upper limit(top) of the zone of saturation.

groundwater

the water underground in the zone of saturation.