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a) List four conditions necessary for the formation of an artesian well.
b) Explain three ways in which ground water is of significance to human activities.

Answer Text:
a) Aquifer to be sandwiched between impermeable rocks to prevent evaporation and percolation.
b) Aquifer to be exposed in a region which is a source of water e.g. rainy area or lake. c) Aquifer to dip from the region of water intake. d) Mouth of the well to be at a lower level than the intake area to develop hydraulic pressure which will force water out.
d) - Acts as sources of rivers.
- Acts as source of water- wells, springs, boreholes, oases which provide water used in homes
and industries.
- Used for irrigating agricultural land e.g Sahara desert, where dates grow near oases, Taveta-
cotton and bananas are grown using water from springs.
- Settlement – in dry areas, people tend to settle near the springs due to the availability of fresh water.
- Provision of hot water- water from hot springs may be tapped and pumped into houses through pipes to heat up houses during cold seasons e.g Iceland.
- Tourist attraction – Hot springs e.g Olkaria, Lake Bogoria etc, valuable mineral salt are deposited and people exploit them for economic gain.