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Zone of saturation identification and geology

The subsurface zone below the water table where all pore spaces, fractures, and voids in rock or sediment are completely filled with water. The zone of saturation is contrasted with the overlying vadose unsaturated zone, where pore spaces contain both air and water. The depth, thickness, and lateral extent of the zone of saturation define the groundwater resource available in an area. Field: hydrogeology. Example: Monitoring wells in the zone of saturation of the Edwards Aquifer in Texas track water levels that supply drinking water to over 2 million people in the San Antonio region.. Related terms: Water table, Vadose zone, Aquifer, Porosity.

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.096023+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Zone of saturation mean in geology?
The subsurface zone below the water table where all pore spaces, fractures, and voids in rock or sediment are completely filled with water. The zone of saturation is contrasted with the overlying vadose unsaturated zone, where pore spaces contain both air and water. The depth, thickness, and lateral extent of the zone of saturation define the groundwater resource available in an area.
What is an example of Zone of saturation?
Monitoring wells in the zone of saturation of the Edwards Aquifer in Texas track water levels that supply drinking water to over 2 million people in the San Antonio region.
Which earth-science field uses the term Zone of saturation?
Zone of saturation is used in hydrogeology.
Which terms are related to Zone of saturation?
Related terms in this reference are Water table, Vadose zone, Aquifer, Porosity.

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