| A | B |
|---|
| aquifer | body of rock that can store water and from which water flows freely |
| artesian formation | sloping layer of permeable rock sandwiched between two layers of impermeable rock and exposed at the surface |
| artesian spring | natural flow of water to the earth's surface from an artesian formation |
| artesian well | hole dug through the cap rock of an artesian formation through which water flows freely, with no pumping necessary |
| cap rock | top layer of impermeable rock in an artesian formation |
| capillary fringe | region of soil just above the water table that receives moisture from the zone of saturation by capillary action |
| cone of depression | lowered area of a water table produced by pumping water from a well |
| geyser | hot spring that erupts periodically |
| hard water | water that contains relatively large amounts of dissolved materials |
| hot spring | hot groundwater that rises to the surface before cooling |
| impermeable | rock or sediment through which water cannot flow |
| karst topography | region where the effects of chemical weathering due to groundwater, such as sinkholes and caverns, are clearly visible |
| mud pot | weathred rock around a hot spring that mixes with the hot water to form liquid clay that bubbles at the surface |
| natural bridge | arch of rock formed by groundwater erosion |
| ordinary spring | natural flow of groundwater to the earth's surface |
| ordinary well | hole dug below the water table that fills with groundwater |
| perched water table | secondary water table formed by a layer of impermeable rock above the main water table |
| permeability | the ease with which water flows through the open spaces in a rock or sediment |
| porosity | percentage of open spaces in a rock or sediment |
| sinkhole | circular depression caused when the roof of a cavern collapses |
| soft water | water that contains few dissolved minerals |
| sorting | uniformity in the size of the particles of a rock or sediment |
| stalactite | cone-shaped calcite deposit suspended from the ceiling of a cavern |
| stalagmite | an upward-pointing, cone-shaped calcite deposit built up from the floor of a cavern |
| travertine | form of calcite that is deposited in terraces around the mouths of hot springs |
| water table | upper surface of the zone of saturation |
| zone of aeration | upper region of groundwater between the water table and the earth's surface |
| zone of saturation | lower region of groundwater where all the pore spaces in a rock or sediment are filled with water |
