Although rainfall has been recorded in the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales in recent days, groundwater is suffering from a significant shortage this spring. How do they work? Explanations.
1. A portion of the basement above the water table. The soil and rock in this area contains air and water in its pores. (Aeration Zone) (Infiltration Zone).
2. Water table is the ground water table. A hydrological term referring to shallow underground water bodies that supply springs and wells. Also called aquifer or unconfined aquifer.
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3. A body of permeable material (reservoir rock) in which groundwater is present and fills (saturated) all pore spaces. In porous aquifers, groundwater exists between grains (e.g. sand, gravel) or in open pores of rock (e.g. limestone, sandstone, volcanic scoria).
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4. In fractured or fractured-pore aquifers, groundwater flow occurs preferentially and mainly along fractures, joints and faults. These aquifers are formed by crystalline rocks (granites and gneisses, schists, micaschists).
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5. Contains small (including clay, silt), medium (clay) and large (sand) particle sizes. It has high water holding capacity and low permeability. This makes it possible to hold the table cloth captive, thanks to its impenetrability.
