Figure 2. An enlarged view of a section of Figure 1. Note that the section shown is below the water table and that ground water completely fills the pore spaces between the sediment grains. In an aquifer, the more pore space there is, the more water the aquifer can hold. This is called the porosity of a deposit. Permeability refers to the ability of a surficial deposit to transmit water. Permeability depends on the size of the spaces between the sediment grains.

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Last updated on October 6, 2005

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