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What is the term used for underground layers of rock that store and transmit groundwater?
Basin
Aquifer
Watershed area
Artesian well
None of the above
Aquifer
An aquifer is a saturated zone of permeable rock, gravel, sand, or silt that holds and transmits significant quantities of groundwater. These formations act as natural reservoirs, allowing water to move through them and be extracted via wells or springs.
An aquifer is a saturated zone of permeable rock, gravel, sand, or silt that holds and transmits significant quantities of groundwater. These formations act as natural reservoirs, allowing water to move through them and be extracted via wells or springs.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is the apex organization in India responsible for the assessment, development, and management of the country's aquifer systems.
Aquifers are classified into unconfined (water table is open to the atmosphere) and confined (sandwiched between impermeable layers).
Permeability and porosity are the two critical geological properties that define the suitability of a rock formation as an aquifer.
Ogallala Aquifer is one of the world's largest, while in India, the Indo-Gangetic plains host extensive alluvial aquifer systems.
Artesian wells are specific types of wells where water rises to the surface under natural pressure from a confined aquifer without the need for a pump.
A watershed is the geographical area of land where all water drains into a single body of water, such as a river or lake, rather than a storage layer.
Groundwater constitutes the largest reserve of liquid freshwater on Earth, excluding polar ice caps.
B is correct тАФ An aquifer is a porous, water-bearing underground rock formation capable of storing and yielding groundwater.
In UPSC and state-level exams, link this to the Atal Bhujal Yojana, which focuses on community-led groundwater management and improving aquifer-level monitoring in stressed regions.