Transcript Water Cycle Groundwater Evapotranspiration Precipitation

Water Cycle and Watersheds
Mr. Brian Oram, PG
Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller
Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality
Wilkes University
GeoEnvironmental Sciences and
Environmental Engineering Department
Wilkes Barre, PA 18766
http://www.wilkes.edu
http://www.water-research.net
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Center for Environmental Quality
Non-profit/ equal opportunity employer, is operated and
managed, within the GeoEnvironmental Sciences and
Engineering Department
Outreach Programs
 Environmental and Professional Education and Training
 Applied Research
 Community and Business Outreach Programs
Website: http://www.water-research.net
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The
Water
Cycle
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Components of the Water Cycle
First The Ins
Solar Energy Input
Precipitation
Condensation
Well Injection
Irrigation
The Outs
Evaporation
Transpiration
Infiltration
Percolation
Runoff
Groundwater Flow
Surfacewater Flow
Well Pumping
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water cycle
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The Water Cycle
Powered by the Sun- Solar Power
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Precipitation
Types of Precipitation
Natural
Rain
Snow
Ice
Hail
Condensation/ Dew
Man-Made
Irrigation
Wastewater Applications
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Interception
Infiltration / Percolation
Infiltration
Percolation
Infiltration- Movement Water Into Soil
Canopy Interception
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Percolation - Water Movement Through
the Soil
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Evaporation / Transpiration
Evapotranspiration
Evaporation- Driven by Thermal
Gradient and Moisture Difference
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Stomata
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Runoff / Overland Flow
Uncontrolled Runoff
Causes Erosion
Low Infiltration
Causes - Overland Flow- Loss
Organic Material
When Rainfall Rate Exceeds Infiltration Runoff is Generated
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Groundwater
Zone of Saturation
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Primary Aquifers in PA
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Well Geology
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Groundwater Flow
and Aquifers
Unconfined
Aquifer
Confined
Aquifer
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Surface Water & Groundwater
They Are Related and Connected !
Local Water Divide
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Groundwater Moves - Slowly
feet per year
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Induced Recharge
or Artificial Discharge
Artificial Recharge- Septic Systems Pumping Well - Artificial Discharge
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What is a Watershed?
The simple definition
It's the area of land that catches rain and
snow and drains or seeps into a marsh,
stream, river, lake or groundwater.
Right Now Your Sitting In a Watershed !
They cross county, state,
and national boundaries
(This is the challenge !)
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Watershed Map
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Watershed View
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Non Point Source Pollution
Non-point source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from
industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many
diffuse sources.
NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving
over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks
up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants,
finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal
waters, and even our underground sources of drinking
water.
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Sources of Non-Point
Pollution
Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural
lands and residential areas;
Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals;
Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop
and forest lands, and eroding streambanks;
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, urban runoff
and faulty septic systems; and
Atmospheric deposition and hydromodification are also sources
of non-point source pollution.
We are Still the Largest Source of Oil Pollution
to the Environment !
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Sources of Pollution
Causes of Contamination
Improper Waste Disposal
Improper Well Construction
Poor Site Selection
Wells Not Properly Abandoned
Improper Waste Storage
Lack of Information on
Hazardous Sites or Activities
(Partial Listing)
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Groundwater Moves
1. Which ways can groundwater move?
a. Up
b. Down
c. Sideways
d. All of the above
1. d. All of the above
Although most movement is lateral (sideways), it can
move straight up or down. Groundwater simply follows
the path of least resistance by moving from higher
pressure zones to lower pressure zones.
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Groundwater Moves
2. How is the speed of groundwater movement
measured?
a. Feet per day
b. Feet per week
c. Feet per month
d. Feet per year
2. d. Feet per year
Groundwater movement is usually measured in feet per
year. This is why a pollutant that enters groundwater
requires many years before it purifies itself or is carried
to a monitored well.
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Groundwater Moves
3. How is stream flow usually measured?
a. Feet per second
b. Feet per minute
c. Feet per hour
d. Yards per hour
3. a. Feet per second
Water flow in streams/rivers is measured in feet per
second.
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Groundwater Moves
4. What determines how fast groundwater moves?
a. Temperature
b. Air pressure
c. Depth of water table
d. Size of materials
4. d. Size of materials
Coarse materials like sand and gravel allow water to
move rapidly. (They also form excellent aquifers
because of their holding capacity.) In contrast, finegrained materials, like clay or shale, are very difficult for
water to move through. Thus, water moves very, very
slowly in these materials.
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Groundwater Moves
5. Can the water table elevation change often?
a. Yes
b. No
5. a. Yes
Water table elevations often fluctuate because of
recharge and discharge variations. They generally peak
in the winter and spring due to recharge from rains and
snow melt. Throughout the summer the water table
commonly declines due to evaporation, uptake by plants
(transpiration), increased public use, industrial use, and
crop, golf course and lawn irrigation. Elevations
commonly reach their lowest point in early fall.
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Groundwater Moves
6. Does aquifer storage capacity vary?
a. Yes
b. No
6. a. Yes
Just like the water level in rivers and streams, the
amount of water in the groundwater supply can vary due
to seasonal, weather, use and other factors.
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Water Cycle and Watersheds
Mr. Brian Oram, PG
Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller
Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality
Wilkes University
GeoEnvironmental Sciences and
Environmental Engineering Department
Wilkes Barre, PA 18766
http://www.wilkes.edu
http://www.water-research.net
7/21/2015
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