aquifers
Subterranean water stores
Aquifers are underground layers of rock or sediment that hold and transmit groundwater.
Wells tap into aquifers to supply drinking water and irrigation.
The Ogallala Aquifer supplies water to farms across eight states.
Aquifers can be depleted faster than rainfall replenishes them, making groundwater management a growing concern.
Water in underground rock
- rechargeRestore electrical capacity
- dischargeRelease of substance outward
- water tableTop of groundwater zone
- springsCoils, sources, or leaps
wells · watershed · potable · extraction · drawdown · saturation · seepage · infiltration
Large water storage basin
- cisternWater storage chamber
- basinConcave water receptacle
- capacityMaximum amount containable
- retentionContinued holding or possession
accumulation · containment · stockpile · repository · supply · volume · holding · reserves
Void space density
- permeabilityAbility to transmit fluids
- sedimentologyStudy of geological deposits
- karstEroded soluble rock terrain
- strataParallel geological layers
bedrock · sandstone · limestone · geophysics · basin · deposition · geomorphology · outcrop
Preventing waste or loss
- sustainabilityCapacity to endure indefinitely
- depletionReduction of supply
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
remediation · monitoring · protection · irrigation · drought · desalination · purification · overpumping
groundwater
Water in underground rock
- rechargeRestore electrical capacity
- dischargeRelease of substance outward
- water tableTop of groundwater zone
springs · wells · watershed · potable · extraction · drawdown · saturation · seepage · infiltration · percolation
reservoir
Large water storage basin
retention · accumulation · containment · stockpile · repository · supply · volume · holding · reserves
porosity
Void space density
- permeabilityAbility to transmit fluids
- sedimentologyStudy of geological deposits
- karstEroded soluble rock terrain
strata · bedrock · sandstone · limestone · geophysics · basin · deposition · geomorphology · outcrop · tectonics
conservation
Preventing waste or loss
- sustainabilityCapacity to endure indefinitely
- depletionReduction of supply
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
pollution · remediation · monitoring · protection · irrigation · drought · desalination · purification · overpumping · regulation
- Water Engineeringdams, levees, canals, aqueducts, spillways
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, geology, volcano, crust
- water resourcesfreshwater, water supply, water storage, water table, water resources
- water systemswater pipes, water pipe, water storage, water line, irrigation ditches
- hot springssteam, thermal springs, hydrogen sulfide, bubbles, mineral deposits
- natural waterssprings, hot springs, streams, creeks, ponds
aquiferssurface water
Water on land's exterior
rivers · streams · lakes · reservoirs · ponds
- Ogallala AquiferMassive underground freshwater deposit
- confined aquiferGroundwater layer between impermeable strata
- unconfined aquiferUnderground water without impermeable cap