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Geolens

Glossary

417 words used in the labs.

Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.

Term

Aquifer

A body of permeable rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows useful amounts to flow through it. Water occupies connected pores or fractures; an aquifer is usually not an underground lake. Both storage space and connectivity matter.

What to look for

USGS principal aquifers of the United States, 2000. Colours identify aquifer systems; the map does not show water-table depth or whether a particular well is confined.

Related labs

Groundwater →
USGS map showing the distribution of principal aquifers across the United States.
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Explore further with USGS water glossary · USGS volcano glossary · NPS glacial geology · NASA Earth facts. Photograph acknowledgements are collected on the Image credits page.