11: Ground Water

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11 Ground Water

• Hydrogeology
• The study of
• ground-water/earth-material
• interactions
• Geology controls ground-water recharge, flow,
  discharge and availability
• Ground water acts as a geologic agent
  Weathering, dissolution, volcanism, metamorphism,
  slope stability, earthquakes.

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Ground WaterThe Unseen Part of the Water Cycle
Aquifer
Salt Groundwater
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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions

• Earth materials
• Rock
• Sediment (Soil)
• Fluids (Water)
• Geologic processes
• Form,
• Distribute and
• Change Earth materials
• Water is a primary agent of many (all?) geologic
  processes

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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions

• Interactions go both ways
• Groundwater controls geologic processes
• Geology controls flow and availability of
  groundwater

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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions

• Geology controls groundwater flow
• Permeable pathways are controlled by
  distributions of geological materials

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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions

• Geology controls groundwater flow
• Permeable pathways are controlled by
  distributions of geological materials
• Where groundwater is available as a resource is
  controlled by geology

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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions
Geology controls groundwater flow

• Permeable pathways are controlled by
  distributions of geological materials
• Where groundwater is available as a resource is
  controlled by geology
• Contaminant transport in the subsurface is
  controlled by geology

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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions
Groundwater controls geologic processes

• Volcanic Processes
• Igneous Rocks Groundwater controls water content
  of magmas
• Metamorphic Rocks Groundwater injected by magmas
  can metamorphose country rocks
• Volcanism Geysers are an example of volcanic
  activity interacting with groundwater

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Hydrogeology DefinedWater/Earth Interactions

• Groundwater controls geologic processes
• Earthquakes fluids control fracturing and fault
  movement, lubrication and pressures
• Landslides groundwater controls slope failure
• Landforms Valley development and karst topography

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Ground Water Zones

• Degree of saturation defines different soil water
  zones

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Soil and Groundwater Zones
Unsaturated Zone
Water in pendular saturation
Caplillary Fringe Water is pulled above the
water table by capilary suction
Water Table where fluid pressure is equal to
atmospheric pressure
Saturated Zone Where all pores are
completely filled with water. Phreatic Zone
Saturated zone below the water table
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• Ground water and the Water cycle
• Infiltration
• Infiltration capacity
• Overland flow
• Ground water recharge
• GW flow
• GW discharge

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Bedrock Hydrogeology

• Hydraulic Conductivity of bedrock is controlled by

• Size of fracture openings
• Spacing of fractures
• Interconnectedness of fractures

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Potentiometric Surfaces
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Potentiometric Surfaces
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Ground Water as a Geologic Agent
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Ground Water as a Geologic Agent
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Ground Water as a Geologic Agent
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Ground Water Contamination
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Contaminant Transport
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Ohio Groundwater Law

• 1843 Acton v. Blundell English Rule
• The landowner can pump groundwater at any rate
  even if an adjoining property owner were harmed.

• 1861 Frazier v. Brown English Rule in Ohio
• Groundwater is
• occult and concealed
• and legislation of its use is
• practically impossible.

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Wisconsin Groundwater Law

• 1903 Huber v. Merkel
• English Rule in Wisconsin
• A property owner can pump unlimited amounts of
  groundwater,
• even with malicious harm to a neighbor.

• 1974 Wisconsin v. Michels Pipeline Constructors
  Inc.
• English Rule Overturned
•  
• Landowners no longer have an absolute right to
  use with impunity all water that can be pumped
  from the subsoil underneath.

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English Rule Overturned in Ohio

• 1984 Cline v. American Aggregates
•  English Rule overturned in Ohio
•  
• Justice Holmes Scientific knowledge in the
  field of hydrology has advanced in the past
  decade so it
•  
• can establish the cause and effect relationship
  of the tapping of underground water to the
  existing water level.

• Today Lingering effects of English Rule
• It is very difficult to prove cause and effect to
  be defensible in court.