Thirstin's Groundwater Movement Activity

Abstract:

Ground water must be able to move through underground materials at rates fast enough to supply useful amounts of water to wells or springs in order for those materials to be classified as an aquifer. For water to move in an aquifer, some of the pores and fractures must be connected to each other. Water moves through different materials at different rates, faster through gravel, slower through sand, and even slower through clay. Gravels and sands are possible aquifers; clays usually are not aquifers. The following activity demonstrates how different sizes of rock materials that make up an aquifer affect water movement.

Subject:

Science and Technology

Grade Level:

Primary

SubTopics:

Water

Collection:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency