Final answer:
The term given to the shape of contamination following the flow of groundwater is called a contaminant plume. It refers to the spread of pollutants in a groundwater aquifer, creating a hazardous area that can affect water supplies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term given to the shape of contamination as it follows the flow of groundwater is a contaminant plume. This term describes how groundwater becomes contaminated when pollutants are released into the ground and migrate down into an aquifer. Once in the groundwater, the pollutants form a plume, which is the contaminated area in the shape of the substance's path through the groundwater.
Movement of water and dispersion within the aquifer spreads the pollutant over a wider area. The leading edge of the plume is known as the plume front, which can intersect with groundwater wells or can seep into surface water, posing a risk to human health and the environment. To mitigate and monitor this contamination, hydrological transport models or groundwater models are utilized to analyze the pollutant spread and dynamics within the aquifer system.