Water table
Water Table
The Water Table (pronounced: /ˈwɔːtər ˌteɪbəl/) is the uppermost level at which the ground water in a given area is saturated with water.
Etymology
The term "Water Table" is derived from the combination of the words "water" and "table". The word "water" comes from the Old English "wæter", of Germanic origin, while "table" is from the Old English "tabule", which is of Latin origin. The term is used to describe the flat or plane surface that represents the top layer of the groundwater.
Definition
The water table separates the groundwater zone that lies below it from the unsaturated zone that lies above it. The water table fluctuates both with the seasons and from year to year because it is affected by climatic variations and by the amount of precipitation used by vegetation. It also can be affected by deliberate human activity.
Related Terms
- Aquifer: A body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater.
- Permeability: The state or quality of a material or membrane that causes it to allow liquids or gases to pass through it.
- Recharge: The process by which water is added to the zone of saturation, usually by percolation from the soil surface, e.g., from precipitation, floodwater, and irrigation.
- Hydrogeology: The area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Water table
- Wikipedia's article - Water table
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