LESSON 9.3 How does groundwater connect people andplace?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • explain how groundwater moves through the Earth and provides a valuable resource for people in places that have little rain • explain the spiritual connection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to the land and its water
Tune in Many countries in western Asia and northern Africa use groundwater to grow crops for food and trade. FIGURE1 shows circular irrigation systems that turn desert areas into farms.
FIGURE1 How can crops be grown in a hot desert, such as this one in Dubai?
1. What do you think irrigation is? 2. Brainstorm three challenges that irrigating low rainfall desert lands may create for farmers. 3. Is the water sourced for this farming project a renewable or non-renewable resource?
9.3.1 Groundwater and the water cycle Approximately 1 per cent of Earth’s water is groundwater, compared to 0.4 per cent in rivers and lakes, and 97.5 per cent in oceans. Groundwater is part of the water cycle and is found under the Earth’s surface. When rain falls, some flows into rivers (surface run-off), and some soaks into the ground (infiltration). The water moves through soil and rocks with tiny pores, like pouring water into a jar of sand or stones. Groundwater is stored in water-bearing rocks called aquifers , which act like sponges, holding water in the spaces between rock particles.
252 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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