water table

Encyclopedia Article

Article

The water table is the line between groundwater and unsaturated ground. Beneath the water table the soil, rock, and sediment are saturated with water, whereas above it, they are not, this is called the zone of aeration. The water table fluctuates based on the seasons, rain levels, droughts, and other environmental factors as well as from man-made ones such as the over-use of well water.

Photo Credit: 

 
"The entire surface water flow of the Alapaha River near Jennings, Florida going into a sinkhole leading to the Floridan Aquifer groundwater, 2002" by Matthew Townsend is licensed under Public Domain.

Published Works: 
The Dark Wind (1982)
Term Type: 
Geologic Feature