Pest Control Technician Practice Exam

Which term refers to a body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater?

1. Water table

2. Reservoir

3. Aquifer

4. Pond

The correct answer is: Aquifer

The term that refers to a body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater is aquifer. An aquifer is a geological formation that can hold and transmit water, allowing it to be extracted for various uses, such as drinking water, irrigation, and industrial processes. Aquifers are crucial for groundwater supply, and their characteristics, like permeability and porosity, determine how much water they can store and how easily water can flow through them. The water table denotes the upper surface of the saturated zone in an aquifer, but it does not itself store groundwater. A reservoir is a man-made or natural lake designed to hold water for various uses, primarily surface water rather than groundwater, while a pond is a smaller body of still water, also typically surface water. Thus, aquifer is the most accurate term for a geological formation specifically designed for the storage of groundwater.