akviferstorlek

Akviferstorlek describes the size and capacity of an aquifer, the underground layer that stores and transmits groundwater. It includes the geographic extent of the aquifer, the average saturated thickness, and the amount of water that can be stored and released under changing hydraulic conditions.

In practice, aquifer size is characterized by areal extent (km^2), saturated thickness (m), and storage properties. The usable storage depends on porosity and on storage parameters: specific yield for unconfined aquifers and storage coefficient for confined ones. The total storage volume is roughly the product of area, thickness, and the appropriate storage factor, informed by local hydrogeology.

Assessment relies on borehole logs, pumping tests, and geophysical surveys, complemented by recharge estimates and groundwater models. Mapping of boundaries, confining layers, and hydraulic connectivity is essential to delineate true aquifer extent.

Akviferstorlek is a key input for water-resource planning, sustainable yield calculations, drought resilience, and contamination risk assessment. It is not static; recharge, pumping, land use, and climate change can modify effective storage and usable size over time.

Limitations include data scarcity, heterogeneity within aquifers, and uncertainty in storage coefficients. Therefore, estimates of aquifer size should be treated with uncertainty ranges and continuously updated with new measurements.