W
ORLDWIDE, WELLS
AND SPRINGS
PROVIDE WATER
for cities, crops, livestock,
and industry. In some areas,
however, overuse of this basic
resource has resulted in water
shortages, streamflow depletion,
land subsidence, contamination by
saltwater, increased pumping costs,
and groundwater pollution.
F O C U S O N C O N C E P T S
To assist you in learning
the important concepts in this
chapter, focus on the following
questions:
What is the importance of
groundwater as a resource and
as a geological agent?
What is groundwater, and what
factors affect its movement?
How do springs, geysers, wells,
and artesian systems form?
What are some environmental
problems associated with
groundwater?
What features are produced by
the geologic work of
groundwater?
Sunset along the Li River in China’s Guilin District. This
part of southern China exhibits tower karst development
in which groundwater has dissolved large volumes of
limestone leaving only these residual towers.
(Photo by Moodboard/Corbis)