Groundwater and the Hydrologic Cycle

Groundwater and the Hydrologic Cycle

Introduction

Water is the lifeblood of every living creature on earth. Approximately 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered with water. Thought the wonders of nature, water can take on many different forms, form the water we drink, to the ice we use to chill a glass of lemonade, to the water vapor used to steam clean equipment equipment. It is easy to understand the significance water plays in our lives, but it may be much more difficult ot understand the water that exists below the earth's surface, called groundwater.

From the time the earth was formed, water have been endlessly circulating. This circulation is known as the hydrologic cycle. Groundwater is part of this continuous cycle as water evaporates, forms clouds and returns to earth as precipitation.

The Hydrologic Cycle

The hydrologic cycle begins with the water evaporation from the earth's soil, plant and water surfaces to form water vapor. The energy required to evaporate water is supplied by the sun. The vast majority of evaporation occurs from the oceans. It is estimated that 39 inches of water annually evaporate from each acre of ocean.

Water vapor is drawn into the atmosphere by temperature gradients and can be transported over hundreds of miles by large air masses. When water vapor cools, it condenses to form clouds. As water condenses within clouds, water droplets increase in size until they fall to the earth's surface as precipitation such as rainfall, hail, sleet or snow.

Approximately 70-90 percent of the water that falls to the earth's surface enters the soil. This water can become groundwater but most of it evaporates or is used by vegetation.

Water that passes though the root zone ...

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...ment levels (Florida Aquifer).

Florida's growing population, now fourth in the nation, is placing a heavy demand on the state's water supply. The addition of 6,000 new residents each week has increased the use of water for direct human needs to more than 60 million gallons per day.

Florida rainfall averages 54 inches per year, or nearly 150 billion gallons of water a day. Unfortunately, an estimated 110 billion gallons is lost to evaporation and plant life consumption.

The southern 50 percent of Florida receives only 44 percent of the state's natural water supply, yet is home to 78 percent of the population and accounts for 75 percent of the state's total water use (Groundwater Withdraw).

The largest consumer of water is the agriculture industry, using 42 percent. Homes, offices and hotels consume 11 percent. The rest is consumed by other industries.