Rivers and Groundwater Systems: Groundwater

Warm-Up Icon Section Warm-Up

journal Journal: Porous Rocks

pumice
  1. Gather together the following items for a little exploratory activity:
    • a piece of pumice stone (often found in the foot care aisle of pharmacies and grocery stores)
    • a small rock from your backyard or school grounds
    • two tall narrow glasses big enough to submerge your pumice stone and backyard rock in water
    • some water
    • a black erasable marker (unless you are using disposable cups, do not use a permanent marker.)
  2. Next, fill the glasses about ¾ full with water and use the marker to mark the top of the water line on each glass.
  3. Place your pumice stone in one glass and your backyard rock in the other glass. The pumice stone may float and that is okay—just let it rest on the water.
  4. After one hour, take each stone out and observe the water line on the two glasses.
  5. Record your observations in your Journal template. In your journal also answer the following questions:
    • How did the two glasses compare in their final water level?
    • If one or both of the glasses had a drop in water level, where did the water go?
    • Recall that an aquifer is a layer of rock that holds groundwater. What types of rocks do you think are best for storing groundwater?

Please write your journal entry in the Journal template. You will be prompted at the end of this unit to turn in all of your journal entries.