what is ground water
Answers
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water.
Groundwater is contained in what are called ‘aquifers’. An aquifer is a geological formation or part of it, consisting of permeable material capable to store/yield significant quantities of water. Aquifers can consist of different materials: unconsolidated sands and gravels, permeable sedimentary rocks such as sandstones or limestones, fractured volcanic and crystalline rocks, etc.
Groundwater is (naturally) recharged by rain water and snowmelt or from water that leaks through the bottom of some lakes and rivers. Groundwater also can be recharged when water supply systems leak and when crops are irrigated with more water than required. There are also techniques to manage aquifer recharge and increase the amount of water infiltrating into the ground.