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What Is the Zone of Aeration?
What Is the Zone of Aeration?. Because most of the unfrozen fresh water supply on the earth lies beneath the planet's surface, an understanding of distribution of groundwater is important. One of the levels that groundwater passes through is the zone of aeration.
Because most of the unfrozen fresh water supply on the earth lies beneath the planet's surface, an understanding of distribution of groundwater is important. One of the levels that groundwater passes through is the zone of aeration.
Location and Characteristics
Also called the vadose zone, the zone of aeration lies between the surface and the water table. The zone of aeration contains water, but the pores and empty spaces in the rock and soil also contain air and other gases. The water table separates the zone of aeration from the zone of saturation where the pores and spaces contain only water.
Sub-Divisions
The zone of aeration is split into three sub-zones. The uppermost zone is the belt of soil moisture, from which plants pull moisture. The second is the intermediate belt, which separates the top sub-zone from the bottom capillary fringe, which is the most water-rich part of the zone of aeration.
Function
The zone of aeration serves as a storage and distribution center for groundwater. It stores the water in between rainfall, and distributes some of it upward, where it will evaporate back into the air. The rest will percolate down and become part of the water table.
