Edible Aquifers

We have been learning a lot about recycling the past few weeks. Yesterday was Earth Day, so we learned all about the Water Cycle, and how it affects our planet. We learned not all water evaporates, but some is stored under ground in an aquifer. To expand on this, we made "Edible Aquifers" today in class.

If you would like to try it a home, here is what you need:

• Oreos and chocolate chips to represent the bedrock (sand/gravel)
• Clear soda (Sprite or 7 Up) to represent the groundwater
• Ice Cream to represent the confining layer (the part that protects the groundwater from contaminants)
• Sprinkles, more Oreos, and chocolate chips to represent the top soil.

After building the aquifer, we put a few drops of food coloring (or pollution) into our creation. We noticed the food coloring sat on top of the ice cream. This showed us how well the confining layer of an aquifer works

We then "dug a well" by putting a straw in our aquifer, and "pumped" the well by sucking on the straw. We noticed as the water table went down, the contaminants also went further into the ground! YUCK! We then "had a rain shower" by pouring more 7 Up into the cup. The contaminants sunk down even further!

What we learned: Even though we have a confining layer to protect our groundwater, pollution can still seep into the water we drink. Yet another reason to "Think Green and take care of our planet!