Zone of soil moisture
Zone in which water is held by molecular attraction on soil particles, near the surface
Zone of saturation
Zone in which all of the pore spaces are completely filled
Unsaturated zone
Area above the zone of saturation
Porosity
The percentage of open spaces in a rock or sediment
Determines how much groundwater can be stored
The ability of a material to transmit a fluid
Permeability
An impermeable layer that hinders or prevents water movement
Aquitard
Permeable rock strata or sediment that transmits groundwater freely
Aquifer
Subsidence
The ground sinks when water is pumped from wells faster than it can be replaced
Landscape with lots of sinkholes
Karst landscape