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); aqui-, -fer

Example Sentences

Like other landowners in the area, it has been allowed to pump unlimited amounts from the aquifer, even as water levels have declined.

From Los Angeles Times

In neighbouring Norway, the world's first commercial CO2 transport and storage service, dubbed Northern Lights, carried out its first CO2 injection in August into an aquifer 110 kilometers off Bergen on the western coast.

From Barron's

This result stands out because subsurface microbial communities in continental bedrock aquifers are often considered relatively stable.

From Science Daily

The water depletion from over-pumping aquifers is causing land to sink in the provinces of Tehran and Isfahan.

From The Wall Street Journal

In oxygen-poor settings such as marine sediments, wetlands, and underground aquifers, certain microbes produce hydrogen sulfide, a foul-smelling and highly toxic gas.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• water level