3.1 Introduction
Up to this point, our discussion of hydrogeology has included the nature of water and the distribution of fluid energy (i.e., hydraulic head) in a flow system. Now we turn our attention to the material through which the water flows. This section deals with the various aspects and properties of porous media, including:
- porosity;
- permeability and hydraulic conductivity of porous media;
- variability of these parameters with respect to location and direction; and
- measurement of these parameters.