ESCI 1130 Study Guide - Final Guide: Point Bar, Beach Nourishment, Alluvium

• School: University of Windsor
• Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Course: ESCI 1130
• Professor: N A

Document Summary

It is the measure of a body"s ability to allow liquid to pass through it. The permeability of a substance to water depends upon the hydrostatic pressure of the water and the size and degree of connectivity of the voids. Materials with high porosity may have low permeability and vice versa. Sand has much lower porosity than the clay, it has larger and better connected voids and high permeability. Volcanic rocks are impermeable as they are isolated. Definition: permitting liquid to pass through with ease. Porosity: the porosity of a rock or soil is the proportion of its volume that consist of voids. Porosity may be less than 1% for solid granite and other dense rocks, 10-50% for sand and gravel, and as high as 80% for clay and silt. Porosity is largely a function of grain size and packing, and it is higher in fine grained than coarse grained material. (p. 53)