aquifer

American  

[ak-wuh-fer] / ˈæk wə fər /

noun

1. any geological formation containing or conducting groundwater, especially one that supplies the water for wells, springs, etc.

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aquifer British  

/ ˈækwɪfə /

noun

1. a porous deposit of rock, such as a sandstone, containing water that can be used to supply wells

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aquifer Scientific  

/ ăk′wə-fər /

1. An underground layer of permeable rock, sediment (usually sand or gravel), or soil that yields water. The pore spaces in aquifers are filled with water and are interconnected, so that water flows through them. Sandstones, unconsolidated gravels, and porous limestones make the best aquifers. They can range from a few square kilometers to thousands of square kilometers in size.

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Etymology

Origin of aquifer

First recorded in 1900–05; probably from French aquifère (adjective); see aqui-, -fer

Explanation

An aquifer is an underground water supply — one found in porous rock, sand, gravel, or the like. Your town might get its water from a lake, river, reservoir, aquifer, or some other source. Aquifer is from the Latin aqua ("water") and ferre ("to bear") — an aquifer literally bears water. Some aquifers are massive, such as the Ogallala Aquifer in the United States that stretches across parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. But not massive enough — we're draining them faster than the water can be replenished.

Example Sentences

In West Texas, for example, the groundwater of the Ogallala Aquifer soaks through layers of fluoride-rich volcanic ash, hundreds of feet below the arid plains.

From Salon • May 7, 2024

Brozović and Husker colleague Taro Mieno had already constructed plenty of models, and run plenty of simulations, on how the High Plains Aquifer responds to drought and dry conditions.

From Science Daily • Jan. 15, 2024

The water district’s proposed 102,000-acre territory covers a portion of the Tuscan Aquifer around Chico.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2023

Sarah Houston, executive director of the Protect Our Aquifer water conservation organization, questioned Germantown’s decision to put a diesel fuel tank on top of the reservoir.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023

Aquifer levels were still “below normal” in March, with “80 percent of them being moderately low to very low,” according to the French Geological Survey.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2023

Related Words

• water level