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Glossary:Permeability
- A measurement of the ability of a fluid to flow through a rock. Represented by the variable ‘k’.
- The quality of the soil that enables water to move through the profile. Permeability is measured as the number of inches per hour that water moves through the saturated soil. Terms describing permeability are as follows
- Very slow less than - 0 06 in/hr
- Slow - 0 06 to 0 2 in/hr
- Moderately slow - 0 2 to 0 6 in/hr
- Moderate - 0 6 to 2 0 in/hr
- Moderately rapid - 2 0 to 6 0 in/hr
- Rapid - 6 0 to 20 in/hr
- Very rapid more than - 20 in/hr
Also
Permeability is another intrinsic property of all materials and is closely related to porosity. Permeability refers to how connected pore spaces are to one another. If the material has high permeability than pore spaces are connected to one another allowing water to flow from one to another, however, if there is low permeability then the pore spaces are isolated and water is trapped within them. For example, in a gravel all of the pores well connected one another allowing water to flow through it, however, in a clay most of the pore spaces are blocked, meaning water cannot flow through it easily.[1]