What does the term "water table" refer to?

The term "water table" refers specifically to the upper surface of saturated ground, which is the zone where soil and rock formations are fully saturated with water. Above this surface, the ground may be unsaturated, where air spaces exist between the soil or rock particles. The water table fluctuates seasonally and can be influenced by various factors such as precipitation, evaporation, and human activities like pumping from wells.

Understanding the water table is essential in groundwater management, as it indicates the level at which the ground is saturated and helps in assessing the availability of groundwater resources. Changes in the water table can signal issues such as drought or over-extraction of groundwater, which are important concepts in water resource management. In contrast, the depth of a well pertains to how deep a well is drilled, while the quantity of underground water describes the total volume available, and the movement of water through soil refers to the process of infiltration and percolation. These are related to groundwater concepts but do not define the water table itself.