What term describes a rock which has the ability to transmit water through its pores and fractures?

What term describes a rock which has the ability to transmit water through its pores and fractures?

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

Answer: (B)

Permeability is the property that describes a rock’s ability to let water move through it via connected pores and fractures. Water can flow through a rock only if those voids are interconnected, forming pathways for the fluid. Porosity alone means there are spaces inside the rock, but it doesn’t guarantee flow unless those spaces are connected. Impermeable and dense imply little or no movement of water through the rock, or that the rock’s packed structure resists flow, rather than facilitating it. So the term describing a rock that can transmit water through its pores and fractures is permeable.

Permeability is the property that describes a rock’s ability to let water move through it via connected pores and fractures. Water can flow through a rock only if those voids are interconnected, forming pathways for the fluid. Porosity alone means there are spaces inside the rock, but it doesn’t guarantee flow unless those spaces are connected. Impermeable and dense imply little or no movement of water through the rock, or that the rock’s packed structure resists flow, rather than facilitating it. So the term describing a rock that can transmit water through its pores and fractures is permeable.