34. Aquifers – Types
Aquifers are essential geological formations that store and transmit groundwater, crucial for various water needs. They can be classified into several types based on their properties and geological characteristics. Understanding aquifers, including their porosity, permeability, and recharge methods, is vital for effective water resource management.
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What we have learnt
- Aquifers can be defined by their ability to store and transmit significant amounts of groundwater.
- The classification of aquifers includes unconfined, confined, semi-confined, and perched aquifers based on their structure and pressure conditions.
- Properties like specific yield, specific retention, and hydraulic conductivity are critical in understanding aquifer behavior.
Key Concepts
- -- Aquifer
- A geological formation that can store and transmit significant quantities of groundwater, composed of permeable materials.
- -- Porosity
- The capacity of a material to hold water, expressed as a percentage of its total volume.
- -- Permeability
- The ability of a material to transmit water through its pore spaces.
- -- Unconfined Aquifer
- An aquifer that is directly open to the atmosphere and recharged directly from precipitation and surface water.
- -- Confined Aquifer
- An aquifer sandwiched between two impermeable layers, under pressure and recharged from remote areas.
- -- SemiConfined Aquifer
- An aquifer bounded by semi-permeable layers allowing for slow leakage.
- -- Artificial Recharge
- Methods used to replenish aquifers through human-made processes, such as using recharge wells or spreading basins.
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