Self-Check: Review of Groundwater Features
Make sure that you understand the features of a groundwater system by answering the questions, and then click on each to reveal the answer.
What is the difference between a confined and an unconfined aquifer?
A confined aquifer is bounded on top and bottom by a confining bed of relatively impermeable rock, so that the water does not easily flow upward to a point of discharge. An unconfined aquifer is not confined on the top by an impermeable layer and is free to flow.
How might the water table be affected by climate?
The water table level rises and falls based on the amount of precipitation or runoff entering the groundwater system as recharge. In very dry times, the water table may fall deeper. In very wet times, it may rise higher because the soil layer above it becomes saturated with water.
