Cyprus-Forum.com

[skyvet]

Can anyone help me with a geographical query that I have please?
Where I live, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by farmers fields, and one of these fields has a pronounced hollow in it, which fills with water after heavy rain, thus forming a "lake". The strange phenomenon which forms the basis of my query is this :-
The "lake" lasts for a varying amount of time, then soaks away and disappears - which makes perfect sense! The strange thing is that after a short period of time, and without further rain, the "lake" re-appears, and remains for a while before soaking away again, only to repeat the cycle over and over.
I'm aware that the water table is fairly high in this location (I have a well in the garden which provides me with water all year round) but I would love to learn of an explanation for this enigma if anyone can enlighten me ............... Thanks

[Lordo]

water table is not static, it varies with rainfall and the rain fall may well be so far away that you are not aware of it. Look at the records of the area and see how far it is likely to rise because in the future it may well be so high that it can cause you problems.

of course needless to say it also depends on the nasty activities of xerodjehalo and how much he has drunk the previous day. the cnaces are he is so drunk he will be pissing from his balconey into the garden which may also have an affect.

[skyvet]

Thanks for that Lordo .......... your first explanation seems perfectly logical and the probable cause. Your second suggestion is less likely, although you obviously have more informed insider information than me!

[Pyrpolizer]

Can anyone help me with a geographical query that I have please?
Where I live, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by farmers fields, and one of these fields has a pronounced hollow in it, which fills with water after heavy rain, thus forming a "lake". The strange phenomenon which forms the basis of my query is this :-
The "lake" lasts for a varying amount of time, then soaks away and disappears - which makes perfect sense! The strange thing is that after a short period of time, and without further rain, the "lake" re-appears, and remains for a while before soaking away again, only to repeat the cycle over and over.
I'm aware that the water table is fairly high in this location (I have a well in the garden which provides me with water all year round) but I would love to learn of an explanation for this enigma if anyone can enlighten me ............... Thanks

It's connected to an aquifer, whose main part is at higher elevation. Most probably the "lake" itself is connected to other aquifers at lower elevation too. The phenomenon often creates what we call in Cyprus "laoumia" -a series of naturally made underground wells connected to each other.There's a whole series of those crossing nearly all Nicosia area. I haven't seen anyone in Nicosia overflowing but I 've seen many holding water just 30 cm below ground level.
Using the same principle Cypriots during the previous century constructed man made "laoumia" to carry water from known aquifers to other areas.

[Lordo]

in a given geology water table is level controlled by the controlled by the geology it is in. If two aqufiers are connected in any way they will find a balance and they wil be level. I live near a river and a field above the river level occasionally becomes a lake and always after heavy rainfall.

here is an explenation of why water table changes.

A water table describes the boundary between water-saturated ground and unsaturated ground. Below the water table, rocks and soil are full of water. Pockets of water existing below the water table are called aquifers.

An area's water table can fluctuate as water seeps downward from the surface. It filters through soil, sediment, and rocks. This water includes precipitation, such as rain and snow. Irrigation from crops and other plants may also contribute to a rising water table.

This seeping process is called saturation. Sediment or rocks that are full of water are saturated. The water table sits on top of what experts call the zone of saturation, or phreatic zone. The area above the water table is called the vadose zone.

Unlike the tables you'd find in your house, a water table usually isn't flat, or horizontal. Water tables often (but not always) follow the topography, or upward and downward tilts, of the land above them.

Sometimes, a water table runs intersects with the land surface. A spring or an oasis might be the water table intersecting with the surface. A canyon, cliff, or sloping hillside may expose an underground river or lake sitting at the area's water table.

In addition to topography, water tables are influenced by many factors, including geology, weather, ground cover, and land use.

Geology is often responsible for how much water filters below the zone of saturation, making the water table easy to measure. Light, porous rocks can hold more water than heavy, dense rocks. An area underlain with pumice, a very light and porous rock, is more likely to hold a fuller aquifer and provide a clearer measurement for a water table. The water table of an area underlain with hard granite or marble may be much more difficult to assess.

Water tables are also influenced by weather. They will be usually be higher in rainy seasons or in the early spring, as snowmelt filters below the zone of saturation.

Ground cover can contribute to an area's water table. The spongy, absorbent vegetation in swamps, for instance, are saturated at least part of every year. Water tables in swamps are nearly level or even higher than the surface.

Land use can also influence an area's water table. Urban areas often have impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, for instance. Impervious surfaces prevent water from seeping into the ground below. Instead of entering the area's zone of saturation, water becomes runoff. The water table dips.

[skyvet]

Every day is a school day, and you're never too old to learn something new!
Many thanks to both Pyrpolizer and Lordo for your informative replies to my query. I have learned something today!

[Pyrpolizer]

in a given geology water table is level controlled by the controlled by the geology it is in. If two aqufiers are connected in any way they will find a balance and they wil be level. I live near a river and a field above the river level occasionally becomes a lake and always after heavy rainfall.

here is an explenation of why water table changes.

A water table describes the boundary between water-saturated ground and unsaturated ground. Below the water table, rocks and soil are full of water. Pockets of water existing below the water table are called aquifers.

An area's water table can fluctuate as water seeps downward from the surface. It filters through soil, sediment, and rocks. This water includes precipitation, such as rain and snow. Irrigation from crops and other plants may also contribute to a rising water table.

This seeping process is called saturation. Sediment or rocks that are full of water are saturated. The water table sits on top of what experts call the zone of saturation, or phreatic zone. The area above the water table is called the vadose zone.

Unlike the tables you'd find in your house, a water table usually isn't flat, or horizontal. Water tables often (but not always) follow the topography, or upward and downward tilts, of the land above them.

Sometimes, a water table runs intersects with the land surface. A spring or an oasis might be the water table intersecting with the surface. A canyon, cliff, or sloping hillside may expose an underground river or lake sitting at the area's water table.

In addition to topography, water tables are influenced by many factors, including geology, weather, ground cover, and land use.

Geology is often responsible for how much water filters below the zone of saturation, making the water table easy to measure. Light, porous rocks can hold more water than heavy, dense rocks. An area underlain with pumice, a very light and porous rock, is more likely to hold a fuller aquifer and provide a clearer measurement for a water table. The water table of an area underlain with hard granite or marble may be much more difficult to assess.

Water tables are also influenced by weather. They will be usually be higher in rainy seasons or in the early spring, as snowmelt filters below the zone of saturation.

Ground cover can contribute to an area's water table. The spongy, absorbent vegetation in swamps, for instance, are saturated at least part of every year. Water tables in swamps are nearly level or even higher than the surface.

Land use can also influence an area's water table. Urban areas often have impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, for instance. Impervious surfaces prevent water from seeping into the ground below. Instead of entering the area's zone of saturation, water becomes runoff. The water table dips.

Copy pasting from National Geographic without due credit is called plagiarism my friend.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/ency ... ter-table/

Btw when I said "connected", I didn't mean directly via a tunnel, although that's still possible if the elevation difference is not too big as is the case of "laoumia".
The phenomenon at Skyvet's "lake" is most certainly coming from a distant higher elevation aquifer through saturated grounds or smaller aquifers formed along the way.
I am almost certain there must be more such "lakes" in the area both at higher and lower elevations.

[Lordo]

in a given geology water table is level controlled by the controlled by the geology it is in. If two aqufiers are connected in any way they will find a balance and they wil be level. I live near a river and a field above the river level occasionally becomes a lake and always after heavy rainfall.

here is an explenation of why water table changes.

A water table describes the boundary between water-saturated ground and unsaturated ground. Below the water table, rocks and soil are full of water. Pockets of water existing below the water table are called aquifers.

An area's water table can fluctuate as water seeps downward from the surface. It filters through soil, sediment, and rocks. This water includes precipitation, such as rain and snow. Irrigation from crops and other plants may also contribute to a rising water table.

This seeping process is called saturation. Sediment or rocks that are full of water are saturated. The water table sits on top of what experts call the zone of saturation, or phreatic zone. The area above the water table is called the vadose zone.

Unlike the tables you'd find in your house, a water table usually isn't flat, or horizontal. Water tables often (but not always) follow the topography, or upward and downward tilts, of the land above them.

Sometimes, a water table runs intersects with the land surface. A spring or an oasis might be the water table intersecting with the surface. A canyon, cliff, or sloping hillside may expose an underground river or lake sitting at the area's water table.

In addition to topography, water tables are influenced by many factors, including geology, weather, ground cover, and land use.

Geology is often responsible for how much water filters below the zone of saturation, making the water table easy to measure. Light, porous rocks can hold more water than heavy, dense rocks. An area underlain with pumice, a very light and porous rock, is more likely to hold a fuller aquifer and provide a clearer measurement for a water table. The water table of an area underlain with hard granite or marble may be much more difficult to assess.

Water tables are also influenced by weather. They will be usually be higher in rainy seasons or in the early spring, as snowmelt filters below the zone of saturation.

Ground cover can contribute to an area's water table. The spongy, absorbent vegetation in swamps, for instance, are saturated at least part of every year. Water tables in swamps are nearly level or even higher than the surface.

Land use can also influence an area's water table. Urban areas often have impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, for instance. Impervious surfaces prevent water from seeping into the ground below. Instead of entering the area's zone of saturation, water becomes runoff. The water table dips.

Copy pasting from National Geographic without due credit is called plagiarism my friend.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/ency ... ter-table/

Btw when I said "connected", I didn't mean directly via a tunnel, although that's still possible if the elevation difference is not too big as is the case of "laoumia".
The phenomenon at Skyvet's "lake" is most certainly coming from a distant higher elevation aquifer through saturated grounds or smaller aquifers formed along the way.
I am almost certain there must be more such "lakes" in the area both at higher and lower elevations.

skyvet is happy with the information. i never claimed that it was my own work, so what is the bee under the bonnet for ?

[Pyrpolizer]

Every day is a school day, and you're never too old to learn something new!
Many thanks to both Pyrpolizer and Lordo for your informative replies to my query. I have learned something today!

I learned it the hard way my friend!
My septic tank used to be always full to near full. I had to pay 70 (was it Euros or Cy pounds don't remember) every month to have it emptied.
One day I thought of checking the rate at which it was getting filled up. And surprise - surprise I found that just 2 days after having it emptied it was almost full again. 20 tons of water in just 2 days!!
I then learned the whole area was full of "laoumia". My next door neighbor had one in his backyard and didn't even know what it was...It was an irregular shape hole in the ground diverting south probably holding about 5-10 tons of water. He brought workers and filled it with sand and gravel.
I only solved my problem after I got connected to the central sewerage system.
I'd bet my septic tank is still almost full without receiving any household sewage, but I don't care anymore

[Lordo]

have you ever seen this sort of thing? gavole you people are poisoning the water underground becasue if water seeps in then sewerage can seep out too.

https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.uk/product/marsh-2800l-cesspool-cesspit-tank.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA99vhBRBnEiwAwpk-uMbZadIkd8ZqdkrwY4cR-1iQ_l7MKuOLtTrMCXJrLP-XgyEKb4G6eRoCcB4QAvD_BwE