Awesome Aquifers B

[Epicfail]

Does anyone know the flow rates for the confined and unconfined aquifers, or the difference? (like which one is faster)

[Skink]

I don't think you can quantify them since there are too many factors involved (and, honestly, they have better topics to test you on). However, if you find a source that gives numbers, you wanna share it?

As I understand it, the unconfined aquifer's flow rate will be greater due to the pressure which explains Artesian wells.

[skillfullparrot7]

Could someone define leachate for me? It's one of the presentation concepts for for the State tournament.

[FueL]

Leachate is any water that drains from landfills and is probably contaminated as a result. They might ask you to show how to prevent leachate from contaminating the groundwater supply.

[TYG]

What is the difference between percolation and infiltration, and depletion and overwithdrawal?

[FueL]

Infiltration is the initial penetration of water into the ground, while percolation is the movement of water underneath the earth from that point on. I dunno about the difference between depletion and overwithdrawal though.

[Skink]

I like the distinction between infiltration and percolation! About the other two...
It seems to me that it goes like this. Depletion is discharge over time. Overwithdrawal is depletion over time.

I put them in that order because I put depletion and withdrawal together. Overwithdrawal has to be more water loss than withdrawal no matter what, right?...
...feel free to take a stab at it if you got a better approach.

[mnstrviola]

I find this confusing to me. Let's say there is a confined aquifer. The confining layers are clay. Between these, is it just pure water, or water and rocks/sand/etc.? Could it be both? Every diagram I see dipict an aquifer as just a pool of water underground, and some rocks/sand/clay is just magically floating above...

[FueL]

I find this confusing to me. Let's say there is a confined aquifer. The confining layers are clay. Between these, is it just pure water, or water and rocks/sand/etc.? Could it be both? Every diagram I see dipict an aquifer as just a pool of water underground, and some rocks/sand/clay is just magically floating above...

Haha, not quite. It's rock all the way down (with the exception of features like caves, but that's another story), but a layer of rock is considered an aquifer when the pores between the rocks are entirely filled with water, like this. The rocks above the aquifer have a little water in their pores too, but mixed in with air, so the layer isn't considered saturated and is not an aquifer.

[Skink]

Yeah, you don't just have underground water bottles or something...

You sure the unsaturated zone isn't considered part of the aquifer? It still contains water.