What term identifies a geologic formation that can store and transmit groundwater?

What term identifies a geologic formation that can store and transmit groundwater?

• A. Surface water
• B. Groundwater
• C. Water in a lake
• D. Aquifer

Answer: (D)

An aquifer is a geologic formation that can store and transmit groundwater. It’s made of porous, permeable materials—like sandstone, gravel, or fractured rock—that hold water in pore spaces and allow it to move through connected pathways. This combination of porosity and permeability means groundwater can be stored underground and tapped by wells for use. Surface water refers to water on the surface, such as in rivers or lakes, and water in a lake is still surface water. Groundwater is the water itself underground, but the term that names the rock layer capable of storing and transmitting that water is aquifer.

An aquifer is a geologic formation that can store and transmit groundwater. It’s made of porous, permeable materials—like sandstone, gravel, or fractured rock—that hold water in pore spaces and allow it to move through connected pathways. This combination of porosity and permeability means groundwater can be stored underground and tapped by wells for use. Surface water refers to water on the surface, such as in rivers or lakes, and water in a lake is still surface water. Groundwater is the water itself underground, but the term that names the rock layer capable of storing and transmitting that water is aquifer.