Aquifer

is a Latin-based name for the water table is determined by the amount of water under the ground, the porosity of the surficial and underlying rock and the amount, intensity and frequency of rainfall in an area.

As this cross-sectional diagram displays, the water underneath the ground is more important and usually four times the amount as is found on the surface. This underground reservoir of water is referred to hydrologists {geologists of water flow} as an aquifer. As a consequence of the overlaying sand above the water table, anything deposited on the surface of the land finds its way into and may contaminate the water table.

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