1. Aquifers

2. What is an Aquifer?
An aquifer is a body of saturated rock through which water can easily move.
The amount of water that rocks or soil can hold depends on their porosity and permeability.

3. Porosity
Porosity – the capacity of rock or soil to hold water.

4. Permeability
Permeability is the rate at which water moves through rocks or soil.

5. Porosity & Permeability

6. Zones of an Aquifer
Zone of saturation : a layer of the aquifer in which all of the pore space is completely filled with water
Water Table: the upper region of the zone of saturation
Zone of aeration : region of an aquifer above the water table where pore spaces are mostly filled with air

7. Contamination of Aquifers
Several things will impact the health of an aquifer:
Landfills
Farming
Gas stations
Septic tanks