A rock with many tiny gaps (pores) that can store water is described as what?

A rock with many tiny gaps (pores) that can store water is described as what?

• A. Permeable
• B. Porous
• C. Impermeable
• D. Aquifer

Answer: (B)

This is about porosity. Porosity describes how much space there is in a rock in the form of tiny gaps or pores that can hold water. When a rock has many of these pores, it can store water, which is why it’s described as porous. Permeability, on the other hand, is about whether those pores are connected so water can flow through the rock; a rock can be porous but not necessarily highly permeable if the pores aren’t interconnected. An impermeable rock resists water movement, often having few or closed pores. An aquifer is a large body of permeable rock that stores and transmits groundwater, not just a description of pore spaces. So the correct term is porous.

This is about porosity. Porosity describes how much space there is in a rock in the form of tiny gaps or pores that can hold water. When a rock has many of these pores, it can store water, which is why it’s described as porous. Permeability, on the other hand, is about whether those pores are connected so water can flow through the rock; a rock can be porous but not necessarily highly permeable if the pores aren’t interconnected. An impermeable rock resists water movement, often having few or closed pores. An aquifer is a large body of permeable rock that stores and transmits groundwater, not just a description of pore spaces. So the correct term is porous.