aquifer

aqui·fer

noun \ˈa-kwə-fər, ˈä-\

Definition of AQUIFER

: a water-bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand, or gravel

— aquif·er·ous \a-ˈkwi-fə-rəs, ä-\ adjective

Origin of AQUIFER

New Latin, from Latin aqua + -fer

First Known Use: 1901

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

aquifer

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In hydrology, a rock layer or sequence that contains water and releases it in appreciable amounts. The rocks contain water-filled pores that, when connected, allow water to flow through their matrix. A confined aquifer is overlain by a rock layer that does not transmit water in any appreciable amount or that is impermeable. There probably are few truly confined aquifers. In an unconfined aquifer the upper surface (water table) is open to the atmosphere through permeable overlying material. An aquifer also may be called a water-bearing stratum, lens, or zone.