The storage coefficient in an unconfined aquifer is equal to which of the following?

The storage coefficient in an unconfined aquifer is equal to which of the following?

• A. Specific yield
• B. Transmissivity
• C. Hydraulic conductivity
• D. Storativity

Answer: (A)

The storage coefficient in an unconfined aquifer is correctly identified as specific yield. This concept is important for understanding how water is stored and released in an aquifer. Specific yield refers to the volume of water that an aquifer can yield due to gravity per unit area of the aquifer per unit decline in the water table. It essentially represents the available water that can be drained from the aquifer when the water table lowers, making it a crucial factor in the calculation of groundwater availability. In unconfined aquifers, where the upper surface of the saturated zone is open to the atmosphere and can fluctuate, the specific yield directly corresponds to the storage coefficient. This is because any decrease in water table elevation results in a decrease in the stored water that can be released to wells or springs, which is effectively what the storage coefficient quantifies. The other terms listed, such as transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, and storativity, refer to different properties of aquifers. Transmissivity relates to how much water can pass through a unit width of the aquifer and is derived from hydraulic conductivity multiplied by the saturated thickness. Hydraulic conductivity pertains to the ability of a material to transmit water and is not directly tied to storage capacity. Storativity is more

The storage coefficient in an unconfined aquifer is correctly identified as specific yield. This concept is important for understanding how water is stored and released in an aquifer.

Specific yield refers to the volume of water that an aquifer can yield due to gravity per unit area of the aquifer per unit decline in the water table. It essentially represents the available water that can be drained from the aquifer when the water table lowers, making it a crucial factor in the calculation of groundwater availability.

In unconfined aquifers, where the upper surface of the saturated zone is open to the atmosphere and can fluctuate, the specific yield directly corresponds to the storage coefficient. This is because any decrease in water table elevation results in a decrease in the stored water that can be released to wells or springs, which is effectively what the storage coefficient quantifies.

The other terms listed, such as transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, and storativity, refer to different properties of aquifers. Transmissivity relates to how much water can pass through a unit width of the aquifer and is derived from hydraulic conductivity multiplied by the saturated thickness. Hydraulic conductivity pertains to the ability of a material to transmit water and is not directly tied to storage capacity. Storativity is more