Two students are discussing the direction groundwater will flow if the water tab

Question

Two students are discussing the direction groundwater will flow if the water table is not flat. Student 1: i think groundwater would flow so that the water table tries to flatten out due to gravity. So, water under the "hills" of the water table would flow downhill to fill in the "valleys". Student 2: I think that after water soaks down into the small pore spaces in the ground, it stops moving when it reaches the water table. there is no reason for it to flow sideways underground.

With which student do you agree? why?

Explanation / Answer

groundwater flow under surface is depend on the permeability of rock material and hydraulic head or water pressure. as we know that when water table is above than the surface then water moves to the surface (if rock material is permeable) because of hydraulic head . hydraulic head is depends on the difference of water table level and surface or velley or river level, flow intensity of the groundwater flow increaed with the difference due to gravity.

so we can say that first student assumption is right on the groudwater flow that groundwater would flow so that the water table tries to flatten out due to gravity.

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