Theme of the Day:

• Water Overview
• Surface Water
• Groundwater
• Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions
• Desalination
• Water Use
• Water Management
• Water and Ecosystems
• Global Water Shortages

Water Overview

• The Hydrologic Cycle - Reservoirs & Processes
  • Evaporation
  • Precipitation
  • Infiltration
  • Groundwater Flow
  • Runoff
  • Transpiration (perspiration)
• Quantitative Transfers in the Hydrologic Cycle
• The World Water Supply - Reservoirs
  • Oceans and Seas (saltwater) - 97.5%
  • Ice Caps and Glaciers (freshwater) - 1.8%
  • Groundwater (mostly freshwater) - 0.62%
  • Rivers and Lakes (mostly freshwater) - 0.02%
  • Atmospheric (freshwater) - 0.001%
• Orographic Precipitation - rain shadows
• USA Precipitation & Runoff
• Water Usage and Droughts - Cadillac Desert, by Mark Reisner

Surface Water

• Watersheds (Drainage Basins)
• Runoff and Soil Erosion
  • Surface geologic materials
  • Topography
  • Climate
  • Vegetation
  • Land-Use

Groundwater

• Aquifers and the Water Table
  • Zone of Saturation
  • Zone of Aeration - Vadose Zone
  • Water Table
  • Perched Water Table
• Groundwater Flow and Water Table Fluctuation in Unconfined Aquifers, Darcy's Law
• Springs, Artesian Wells, & Water Towers
• Porosity and Permeability (Hydraulic Conductivity) - Table 11-2
• Pumped Wells and Groundwater Mining
  • Cone of Depression
  • Subsidence
  • Saltwater Intrusion
  • Groundwater Usage in the USA
  • Ogalala Aquifer

Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions

• General Interactions
• Karst Regions
  • Caves: Flowstone, stalactites, and stalagmites (and bat guano)
  • Sinkholes
  • Disappearing Streams
  • Park City, KY topographic map

Desalination

• Very Expensive - Impractical in most areas

Water Use

• Competing Water Uses
• California Aqueducts
• US Water Use Trends
  • Freshwater Withdrawals
  • All Water Withdrawals

Water Management

• Colorado River Drainage Basin
• Little Colorado River sediment inputs

Water and Ecosystems

• Wetlands

Global Water Shortages

• Too Many Thirsty People