Pore space gives way to the architecture of an aquifer. A pore is a complicated void. Pores are the negative space within loosely bound sediment or rock that has the potential to be filled with water. The shape, size and distribution of the sediment determines the shape of the negative space, and therefore, how much water can be held. Porosity is the percentage of this negative space within the rock or sediment.Pore space also defines the area of saturation, how water saturates a particular material or not. There are many different kinds of porosity to consider: Open and closed porosity for example. Open porosity is where the pores are interconnected, closed porosity is where the pores are isolated from one another. The pore space is the question to be answered, as it holds the big mystery of storage capacity and therefore the potential of the aquifer to provide water. This pore space architecture is of course highly dependent on the geological specificity of the region under consideration.
