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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

Water table

The upper surface of an unconfined groundwater body, below which connected pores are saturated. Its height changes with recharge and groundwater flow. In a confined aquifer, the level reached in a well represents pressure head rather than a free water table.

What to look for

USGS observation well in Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia. Instruments record groundwater levels; the water table itself lies beneath the surface.

Related labs

Groundwater →
A USGS groundwater observation station in Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia.
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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.