Chapter 17. Chapter 17: Freshwater Resources
What is an aquifer, how does it receive water,...?
Guiding Question 17.3
What is an aquifer, how does it receive water, and what problems emerge when too much water is removed?
Why You Should Care
Aquifers are underground sources of water that are formed between layers of permeable and impermeable rock or soil. Water flows into aquifers from precipitation and from upstream. We can tap into those aquifers by using wells that reach down into the permeable layers and pump the water upward.
Groundwater always flows downhill and eventually reaches the ocean, usually below the surface of the estuary. This movement is pretty slow, and pumping can remove groundwater faster than it is replenished. Over time, groundwater can become harder to find as the level inside the aquifer drops lower and lower. If the human population is very dependent on groundwater for its freshwater, this can lead to water scarcity.
Test Your Vocabulary
Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bacteria often found in the intestinal tract of animals; monitored for fecal contamination of water. | |
| The removal of salt and minerals from seawater to make it suitable for consumption. | |
| Water discharged into the environment. | |
| The inflow of ocean (salt) water into a freshwater aquifer that happens when an aquifer has lost some of its freshwater stores. |
1.
Which of the following does not contain freshwater that we can access?
| A. |
| B. |
| C. |
| D. |
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