Water Erosion

Groundwater

Groundwater Facts

· Groundwater is a natural resource that is used for drinking, recreation, industry, and irrigation.

· The average American uses 100 gallons of water each day.

· Nearly 3/4 of the water that comes to our homes goes down the drain.

· Of all of the earth’s water that’s useable by humans, 98% is groundwater.

· It takes 1,303 gallons of water to produce a single hamburger.

· Americans drink more than one billion gallons of tap water per day.

Caves and Caverns are a big example of water erosion.  There are three main caves that are formed with water.   They are: sea caves, ice caves and limestone caves.   The main cave most commonly found are limestone caves so we will talk about them first.  When rain falls to the ground it mixes with carbon dioxide in the air.  Then the water sinks into the ground and mixes with more carbon dioxide and becomes a solution.  This carbon dioxide solution can wear away limestone.  Sea Caves form when powerful waves break large chunks of rock away from shores.  Ice caves are formed when melt water from melting glaciers flows as a stream underneath the ground.   This stream carves out tunnels and rooms. 

Groundwater System

Wells

Caves

Ground water is water that is found underground in cracks of soil, sand and rock.  Aquifers are areas where water can slowly flow through sand, soil and rock.  Aquifers are made out of gravel, sand, sandstone, fractured rock such as limestone and of course water!  These materials are permeable because water can flow through them.

Wells are holes in the ground that are drilled down to the water table, or an aquifer. Pipes and pumps are used to pull the water up from the ground. Because the water isn't necessarily clean, however, it has to be put through a filter to be cleaned.
Text Box: Geyser Facts In December 2005 there were approximately 1,000 geysers on earth. Geysers are made out of hot water and steam The name Geyser comes from the name, Geysir, the name of a stream in Haukadalur, Iceland. Geysir also comes from the Icelandic verb gjόsa which means "to gush".

Geysers

A geyser is a hot spring that erupts at regular intervals.  Pools of water deep under earths surface are heated to the point of boiling, water turns to steam,  pressure builds until the water and steam erupts out a crack in the crust.  Ending with water and steam shooting up into the air.

Sinkholes

Sinkholes are formed when limestone or another water soluble rock is dissolved and the rock above collapses. It creates a hole that can be almost any size. The state of Florida has the most amount of sinkholes in the world.

By the ThinkQuest Team of Grant School

Photo courtesy of USGS

Photos courtesy of USGS

Photo courtesy of South Dakota State Historical Society

Photo courtesy of USGS