Running Water vs Groundwater - Essay Example

Running Water and Ground Water Running Water and Ground Water Introduction More than 70% of earth’s surface is covered with water. Most of the water present on earth is not available for human use. 97% of the water present on earth is oceanic water. The salinity level of this water does not permit it to e utilized for our daily purposes. It is also incompatible for animal and plant species living on dry land. However, some plants have the capability to stay alive in salt water, while most of plants are unable to survive in salt water. The natural cycle of water is the main source of fresh water. Only 1% of the total water is fresh water that is available for the use of animals, plants and humans. Rains maintain a balance through which water is maintained in the fresh water resources. Running water is the water that is present in the streams. It runs down due to the force of gravity. Groundwater is the water that seeps down from the surface and gathers under the surface in an aquifer or underground reservoir. Running water It rains on mountains quite often, the water from the rain rushes down the mountains due to the force of gravity. At first stage, small streams are formed that combine together to make a bigger stream, streams connect together to form a river. The water in the streams and rivers is called running water. In the similar manner, due to change in temperature from winter to summer, the snow on mountains melt into water. The water rushes down the mountain due to the force of gravity. Running water has high oxygen level and most of the needs are satisfied with the help of running water. Running water is also utilized to generate energy. In olden days, the force of running water was utilized to crush wheat cornels (Hynes, 1983). Groundwater Ground water is the type of water that seeps down into the surface and settles down in an aquifer or underground reservoir. This water is also the rain water but due to saturation of ground the seeps down to the aquifer. As the quantity of water above the surface decreases, the quantity of water undergrad also decreases. However, annual rains and snowfalls replenish the underground water through the saturated grounds. Wells lie directly over the aquifers. Underground aquifers are good in holding water for longer periods as compared to the above ground water resources. There is no evaporation of water from the underground aquifers. However, little water that comes to the surface due to capillary effect evaporates form the surface (Hynes, 1983). Aquifers Aquifer is an underground soil or group of rock that allow the underground water to pass through them and move according to the hydrodynamics of water. However, the sizes of the pores or spaces that allow the water to flow determine the rate of flow of water. The number of pores of amount of spacers that allow the water is the porosity of the aquifer. However, one space should have a connection to the other space to support the flow of water. The connection between the spaces is the permeability of the material (Vervier, Gibert, Marmonier & Dole-Olivier, 1992). Aquifers may have gravel, sand, sandstone, or fractured rock. These types of material are permeable and have spaces that allow the water to move through the material. In case, if the spaces or pores are not connected to each other, the flow of the water is blocked. If the material does not allow the water to flow through it, the material is called impermeable. Such types of materials are also important at some places. Clay and shale are impermeable materials. It is not due to lack of the pores, it is due to the fact, that the pores in the clay and shale are not connected to each other. The water is unable to flow through theses materials. The more the number of pores the material has and more the pores are connected, the more permeable the material will be and allow more water to flow across the material (Vervier, Gibert, Marmonier & Dole-Olivier, 1992). Impact of mineral on groundwater The tem hard water is referred to the groundwater that has dissolved the mineral in it. The dissolve minerals dissociates into ions. The taste of the water is not like normal fresh water and requires processing before use. Temporary hardness can be reduced by boiling the water. However, permanent hardness of water can only be reduced through an industrial process or RO filtration. Water cycle Water cycle of hydrologic cycle is the constant balance between the evaporation of water from the water bodies and refilling of the water bodies due to rains and streams. However, local water cycle can become unbalanced due to several reasons. Floods are caused due to unbalanced local water cycle. The water cycle can be referred as the hydrologic cycle or rain cycle. The water cycle depends on the following processes (Jackson, Carpenter, Dahm, McKnight, Naiman, Postel, & Running, 2001). Evaporation Evaporation is process in which the liquid water changes its form from liquid to gas due to the impact of heat. In natural solar energy or heat from the sun provides the energy that convert water into vapors. The high temperature water vapors rise up as it is the property of a high temperature vapors to rise high. Evaporation majorly affects the oceans, as oceans are the biggest sources of water (Sophocleous, 2002). Condensation At certain height, the water vapors condense into clouds due to the low temperature. The vapors return to the liquid form. In general condensation refers to a process in which a product is reformed to its original stage due to temperature change. (In most cases, the temperature of the process remain low to evaluate condensation products) Precipitation The clouds remain in the atmosphere, till a pressure and temperature difference makes the clouds to release water back to surface. Precipitation is the process that allows the water in the form of clouds to fall on the earth in the form of rain or snow. Transpiration Although transpiration contributed little in the water cycle but it is a part of water cycle. Water is also absorbed by the plants. Plants release this water into the atmosphere during respiration. Animals also release water that is taken by them. However, animals and plants have high content of water that remains in them till death. Infiltration Infiltration is the seeping of water into the ground and its movement under the surface. Under the surface, water moves through the permeable materials. This movement is infiltration (Sophocleous, 2002). Runoff Runoff is the running of water in the streams, rivers and lakes. After the rain some of the water is absorbed by the soil. The soil is then unable to process the water through its posed and the water runoff the surface and form lakes, rivers and streams. Runoff is determined according to the maximum retention of the soil. Runoff not only produces corrosion but the force of water also influences the soil to suspend in the water and reach the stream. Water balance Water balance suggests that the amount of evaporation will always equal to the amount of water precipitation. In other words, all the evaporated water will condense and fall in the form of rain and snow. It is not important whether the local water balance is proper or not. It is regional water balance that is more important. Water evaporated from one area can cause flood in the other area. Streams Streams erode the channel banks and make the flow of water easier in the streams. The erosion of the streams increases with the increase in the speed of the water flowing in the streams. Fine particles of soil and minerals flow with the streams. Streams transport the sedimentation with water. As the quantity of water in the streams increases, the sedimentation transportation also increases. On the other hand, velocity also influences the amount of sediment transportation from the streams. Streams deposit sediment from one place to the other. Sediment is deposited in the regions where the velocity of water reduces due to any reason. The widening of the streams influences the deposition of sediment. In the similar manner, curves in the streams also influence the deposition of sediment. Heavy particles roll with the bottom surface of the stream. Fine particle remain suspended in the water and move with the velocity of water. Some minerals get dissolved in the water and also move also with the water (Hynes, 1983). References Hynes, H. B. N. (1983). Groundwater and stream ecology. Hydrobiologia,100(1), 93-99. Jackson, R. B., Carpenter, S. R., Dahm, C. N., McKnight, D. M., Naiman, R. J., Postel, S. L., & Running, S. W. (2001). Water in a changing world. Ecological application, 11(4), 1027-1045. Sophocleous, M. (2002). Interactions between groundwater and surface water: the state of the science. Hydrogeology journal, 10(1), 52-67. Vervier, P., Gibert, J., Marmonier, P., & Dole-Olivier, M. J. (1992). A perspective on the permeability of the surface freshwater-groundwater ecotone. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 93-102. Read More