MAKING A GROUNDWATER MODEL

Groundwater is the water we drink and the water that grows our food. It is found underground in the cracks and spaces between sand and soil. These underground formations are called aquifers.

1.  OBJETIVE

Learn groundwater concepts by building a model aquifer. Its sometimes easier to understand groundwater if you can “see” it.

2.  TASK

Makes a groundwater model

3.  ITEMS NEEDED

a.    Three clear containers

b.    Sand or gravel

c.    Clay

d.    Water

e.    Pipette

f.    Permanent pens of different colours: blue, red and black

4.  PROCESS

Now, we are going to learn about which are conditions to form groundwater.

Take 3 clear cups:

A.The first cup is filled by a waterproof layer such as clay, secondly with a permeable layer such as gravel or sand. Add water filling the cup half full. Try to extract water with a pipette at the bottom of the  cup.

Ø  What happens?___________________________________________

Try to extract water with a pipette at the middle of the  cup.

Ø  What happens?___________________________________________

Ø  Where the water go?_________________________________________

Ø  Has an aquifer formed?  ______________________________________

            Now, continue filling the cup with water above the top of the gravel.

Ø  What happens?______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Ø  What type of water has formed now?_______________________

B. The second cup is filled by a permeable layer and on top an impermeable layer. Add water filling the cup half full.

Ø  Where the water go?_____________________________________

Ø  Has an aquifer formed? _____________________________________

Ø  What type of water has formed now?________________________

C. The third cup is filled by a permeable layer but in this case with an inclination. On top you put an waterproof layer but showing part of the  layer down. Add water filling the cup half full.

Try to extract water with a pipette at the bottom of the  cup.

Ø  What happens?___________________________________________

Try to extract water with a pipette at the middle of the cup.

Ø  What happens?___________________________________________

Ø  Where the water go?_____________________________________

Ø  Has an aquifer formed? _____________________________________

Ø  What type of water has formed now?________________________

RESULTS

Ø  Mark with a permanent pen the saturation zone, water table and unsaturation zone only on the cups where is formed an aquifer.

Water table in red             -------

 

Saturation zone in blue                   Unsaturation zone in green

Draw the model made and locate impermeable zone, aquifer, saturation zone, unsaturation zone and water table.

                                                           

CONCLUSIONS

Write the conditions to form an aquifer_______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain how the Suarez´s ponds have formed. __________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens when humans contaminate or deplete our aquifers?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________