Groundwater• The zone of saturation is the depth below

Earth’s surface at which groundwater completely fills all the pores of a material.

• The water table is the upper boundary of the zone of saturation.

• The depth of the water table varies depending on local conditions.

• The topography of the water table follows the topography of the land above it.

Groundwater

Aquifers

Fractured Rock Aquifers• In metamorphic and/or igneous rocks, there are

rarely confined aquifers. • Instead, water is contained within the rock itself

in fractures and pore spaces.• Generally, the fractures decrease as depth

increases, due to pressure.• In WNC, more than 50% of the population

receives their water from wells drilled into fractured rock aquifers.

http://www.earthgeu.com/

Evaporation within the Water Cycle

• Evaporation is what drives the surface-to-atmosphere connection of the water cycle

Evaporation• Water vapor in the atmosphere

– 90% comes from surface waters – 10% from transpiration from plants.

• Heat energy is required to change water in its liquid form to its gaseous form.

• If you add heat to a material, does its temperature always rise?

Evaporation• Water in its gaseous form is a heat

“carrier.”• Once condensation occurs, the heat

energy is released back into the atmosphere.

• This is called latent heat, and serves to warm the atmosphere.

Heating Curve