How Hydrologists Locate Groundwater
How Do Hydrologists Locate Groundwater?
Using
scientific methods to locate water
To locate
groundwater accurately and to determine the depth, quantity, and quality of the
water, several techniques must be used.
.
A target area must be thoroughly
tested and studied to identify hydrologic and geologic features important to
the planning and management of the resource.
.
The landscape may offer clues to the
hydrologist about the occurrence of shallow groundwater. Conditions for large
quantities of shallow groundwater are more favorable under valleys than under
hills.
.
In some regions--in parts of the
arid Southwest, for example--the presence of "water-loving" plants,
such as cottonwoods or willows, indicates groundwater at shallow to moderate
depth.
.
Areas where water is at the surface
as springs, seeps, swamps, or lakes reflect the presence of groundwater,
although not necessarily in large quantities or of usable quality.
.
Geology
is the key
Rocks are
the most valuable clues of all.
.
As a first step in locating favorable
conditions for groundwater development, the hydrologist prepares geologic maps
and cross sections showing the distribution and positions of the different
kinds of rocks, both on the surface and underground.
.
Some sedimentary rocks may extend
many miles as aquifers of fairly uniform permeability. Other types of rocks may
be cracked and broken and contain openings large enough to carry water.
.
Types and orientation of joints or
other fractures may be clues to obtaining useful amounts of groundwater. Some
rocks may be so folded and displaced that it is difficult to trace them
underground.
.
Existing
wells provide clues
Next, a
hydrologist obtains information on the wells in the target area. The locations,
depth to water, amount of water pumped, and types of rocks penetrated by wells
also provide information on groundwater.
.
Wells are tested to determine the
amount of water moving through the aquifer, the volume of water that can enter
a well, and the effects of pumping on water levels in the area.
.
Chemical analysis of water from
wells provides information on quality of water in the aquifer.
.
How
groundwater occurs in rocks
Groundwater
is simply the subsurface water that fully saturates pores or cracks in soils
and rocks.
.
Aquifers are replenished by the
seepage of precipitation that falls on the land, although they can be
artificially replenished by people, also.
.
There are many geologic,
meteorologic, topographic, and human factors that determine the extent and rate
to which aquifers are refilled with water.
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What is groundwater?
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Physical characteristics
of groundwater
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