The hydrosphere is an environmental system composed of all the water on the planet, in its different physical states (solid, liquid and gas). Water circulates continuously from some places to another, changing its condition, its speed and intensity of flow, giving rise to what we know as a water cycle or hydrological cycle. Thus, in the hydrosphere it is possible to distinguish several bodies or masses of water: oceans, surface waters (rivers, glaciers, lakes), groundwater and water present in the atmosphere. Approximately 97.5% of the water is concentrated in the oceans and the remaining 2.5%, one third of the water is underground.
¿What are groundwater exactly? Are groundwater sweet or salty? Can the groundwater leave the surface? Reading this ecology article, you can know the answers to these questions. You can also understand the importance of groundwater, what are their sources and their main characteristics, among other details. So, if you are interested, keep reading this summary about what underground waters are.
What is groundwater and its characteristics
The Definition of groundwater can be summarized as the set of water that is stored in depth or below the surface of the land, completely saturating the pores of the subsoil. Some of the main Characteristics of groundwater are:
- The groundwater is sweet.
- The physical, chemical and biological composition of water can be modified once it infiltrates the field due to its interactions with the environment.
- The majority chemical constituents of groundwater are: carbon dioxide (CO2), bicarbonates (HCO3–), Carbonates (CO32-), Chlorides (Cl–), Sulfates (SO42-), Nitrate (NO3–), Nitrito (NO2–), Armonio (NH4+), Calcium (ca2+), Magnesium (mg2+), sodium (na+), Potassium (k+), Silica (SiO2) and dissolved oxygen (O2).
How are groundwater formed
Groundwater is formed from rainwater. Once the water precipitates, this infiltrates the subsoil and descend until it is retained in a waterproof layer. This subsoil layer allows water storage, which it occupies totally or saturates the pores or holes of the land, thus forming aquifers.
In this other ecology article, we tell you more about how groundwater is formed.
Types of groundwater
Groundwater can be classified following two criteria: according to their formation or location. Thus, these are some examples of groundwater according to their types.
According to the origin or sources of groundwater, these can be:
- Of infiltration or precipitation.
- Waters condensation of the night fog in desert areas.
- Fossils Or congenital, which are those masses of water that were trapped in aquifers thousands of years ago.
- Youth waters or magmatic, which are those that emerge for the first time to the surface as a consequence of volcanic eruptions and geyseres (eg. Groundwater spring).
Depending on the Underground water distribution In the field or, in other words, according to where the groundwater is located, we find:
- EDIFICAL WATERS: It is the groundwater that is located in the aeration zone or non -saturated area of the subsoil.
- Suspended Waters: They are formed when between the surface and the real saturation zone, there is a strip, of little thickness, saturated with water retained by a waterproof layer.
- PREASTIC WATER: The waters of the water table are those that make up the saturation zone.
- Confined waters: located between two waterproof layers.
- Artesian waters: Subjected to large pressures, they are stored between waterproof layers, and flow vertically to the surface.
Groundwater fauna
The biological composition of groundwater can inform us about the status of quality of the water resource. The temporal and spatial variability of biocenosis is subject to the physical-chemical conditions of the environment already the pressure exerted by the human being over the bodies of groundwater.
Between the unknown and valuable Fauna that inhabits groundwater or stigofaunaInvertebrates abound (among which stand out The arthropods) that, together with BacteriaThey play a key role in water purification.
In these other articles you can learn about what are arthropods, their characteristics, classification and examples and about bacteria are living beings? and the types of bacteria.
Why are groundwater
Underground waters are a important water reserve for the consumption of drinking water and the performance of industrial and agricultural activities. In addition to constituting a source of food and allowing economic development, these continental water masses provide Support servicesguaranteeing biodiversity, conservation and proper functioning of ecosystems.
In this other post you will see what the importance of water is.
Overexploitation of groundwater
The Overexploitation of aquifers It takes place when water from aquifers is extracted at a rate greater than that of natural recharge. How groundwater is used makes them less and less available, endangering aquatic ecosystems or those associated with certain water masses. For example, the lack of arrival of groundwater to coastal wetlands can accelerate saline intrusion processes and thus alter the balance, morphology and dynamics of these ecosystems.
The exponential growth of the population increases the demand for this resource, contributing to its scarcity in terms of availability, because we remember that water constitutes a closed cycle, without loss or gains; It is simply stored in more or less accessible ways and in a physical or another state. In recent decades, not only alarms have jumped for a decrease in Water reserves of which we have due to the consumptive use of water, but also because of the contamination processes it suffers. Mainly highlight agricultural, urban and industrial activities such as triggers of the loss of quality of this resource.
Finally, we advise you to read these other articles about what an aquifer is and how it is formed and the overexploitation of natural resources, their causes and consequences.
If you want to read more articles similar to What are groundwaterwe recommend that you enter our category of other environment.
