Groundwater Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Groundwater?
Groundwater is a vital source of water for many people, plants, and animals. It is the water that infiltrates into the ground from surface water such as rain or snowmelt to fill up aquifers that can be accessed by wells or springs. Groundwater makes up about 30% of total freshwater resources on Earth and is a major factor in sustaining life on our planet.Groundwater acts as an important buffer for surface water runoff and helps to maintain soil fertility. It also stores large amounts of valuable minerals, which can be mined and used to support agriculture and industry. Additionally, it serves as a backup supply in times of drought when surface-level sources may run dry. Groundwater can also act as a natural filter for pollutants before they reach bodies of drinking water, making it an invaluable resource for providing clean drinking water throughout the world.Unfortunately, groundwater is being rapidly depleted due to over-abstraction by humans through excessive pumping from wells and other activities such as agricultural irrigation or mining operations. This has caused some regions to suffer from severe droughts due to lack of groundwater replenishment from rainfall or snowmelt which results in land subsidence (sinking) due to compaction of sediments beneath the earth’s surface where groundwater previously resided. Groundwater contamination may also occur from agricultural chemicals, industrial waste products, sewage leachate, etc., rendering them unsuitable for use without advanced treatments like reverse osmosis filtration systems. Therefore, sustainable management practices are essential for preserving this crucial resource so future generations will have access to clean drinking water supplies without having to rely excessively on energy-intensive processes like desalination or distillation plants both costly projects that require significant investments in infrastructure development & maintenance costs over time if not managed properly now.