Water table, also called Groundwater Table, upper level of an underground surface in which the soil or rocks are permanently saturated with water. The water table separates the groundwater zone that lies below it from the capillary fringe, or zone of aeration, 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 is affected by withdrawing excessive amounts of water from wells or by recharging them artificially. See also aquifer.
Water table
hydrology
Alternative Title:
groundwater table
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ADDITIONAL MEDIA
More About Water table
2 references found in Britannica articlesAssorted References
- hydrologic cycle
- impact of fracking and hydraulic drilling
