How can water travel through rock?

Answer 1

For water to flow through a rock, there must be gaps between the mineral grains or clasts in a sedimentary rock. These are known as pore spaces and rocks with these pore spaces are known as porous. As such the word porosity is used to describe the ratio between the pore spaces and the total volume of the rock.

For water to be able to travel through the rock, these pore spaces must be interconnected.

Rocks (or any other material) through which fluids can flow are known as permeable.

Answer 2

== == All rocks have a characteristic called porosity. If you imagine a jar full of Golf balls, there are spaces between the golf balls. The spaces are called pores (in a geological sense). Porosity is the ratio of these spaces to the volume of the rock and can be expressed as a percentage of the total volume of the rock. In some cases pores can be interconnected allowing water to fill up the pores and pass through into the adjoining pores of the rock. In order for water to pass through a rock, it must be permeable (i.e. have interconnected pores) as well as porous.

Answer 3

It depends on what type of rock and soil and the permeability of these. If the soil has a high clay content it will form an aquaclude that will make a natural aquifer. But for the most part water will flow downhill until it is reaches an an impermeable barrier or drains into a body of surface water.

Answer 4

Sandstone is porous i.e. there are tiny holes and cracks between the individual grains that make up the bulk of the sandstone. Water can get into these tiny holes and cracks and flow through them. The holes and cracks in sandstone can be seen using an ordinary optical microscope.

Answer 5

Water can seep through certain porous rock.

Answer 6

Permeability.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Percolation