What do we call a porous, water-bearing geological formation?

An aquifer is defined as a porous geological formation that is capable of holding and transmitting water. This formation is typically composed of materials such as sand, gravel, or limestone that allow water to flow through the interconnected spaces between the particles. Aquifers are crucial sources of freshwater for numerous communities, as they supply the water that can be extracted via wells for drinking, irrigation, and other uses.

When looking at the other terms, the water table refers to the upper surface of the saturated zone in the ground, where the soil or rock is fully saturated with water. Groundwater is the water stored within an aquifer, while a streambed is the bottom of a river or stream where water flows. These concepts are related but do not specifically describe the geological formations that hold and transmit water like aquifers do.