Groundwater Review

Water Cycle Transpiration vs Evaporation Infiltration: water soaking in Permeability: how easily water flows through Zone of aeration: permeable, above the water table Zone of saturation: zone below the water table Influent Stream: has the potential of going dry Effluent Stream: most likely will not go dry

Aquifer Underground layer of permeable rock that contains water

Water Types Fresh water: water that is not salty Little or no taste, color, odor ~3% of water on Earth is fresh Brackish water: mix of salt and fresh water Salt water: water that contains dissolved salts and other minerals

Divide A continuous line of high land from which water flows in different directions.

Drainage Basin An area that receives all of the surface runoff from one side of a ridge Aka River basin

Lakes/Ponds Eutrophication: an increase of nutrients in a lake.

Fresh Water Availability

Estuaries Nursery’s of Sea

Estuaries Semi-enclosed areas where fresh water and seawater meet and mix. Interaction of land and sea! Some of the most productive environments on earth! Most affected by humans! Harbors Cities

Value of Estuaries Protected fertile habitat – Home for many! Vital breeding and feeding grounds Cities built near estuaries because of great fishing. (shrimp and crab)

Physical Characteristics of Estuaries Salinity in a salt wedge Substrate Rivers carry nutrients into estuary by size and weight. Mud = silt and clay high in nutrients Anoxic = low oxygen in mud b/c bacteria respiration. Anaerobic bacteria thrive in mud.

Physical Characteristics of Estuaries Water temp varies. Exposed organisms during low tides. Sun, Drying out, Predation

The Salt wedge moves in and out with the tide High Tide Low Tide The Salt wedge moves in and out with the tide

The daily tides play a crucial role in salt marshes. They help circulate detritus and nutrients and expose mudflat organisms to predation by shorebirds and other animals

Why does mud not have much oxygen in it? Look at the shallow roots of this mangrove tree reaching above the mud to get oxygen. Why does mud not have much oxygen in it?

Cordgrass is an important component of salt water marshes

Pickle Weed is a common succulent plant in salt marshes around the world.

A salt marsh near Atlantic Beach, NC A salt marsh near Atlantic Beach, NC. Many of these types of marshes have been filled in and destroyed.

The Atlantic menhaden is an important commercial fish spawn offshore and larvae drift with tides into the estuary to grow.