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Permeability is a property of a material that describes its ability to allow fluids to pass through it. It is a measure of how easily a fluid can flow through a porous or semi-porous material. Permeability is an important concept in many fields, including civil engineering, petroleum engineering, and geology.

The permeability of a material is typically measured in units of permeability (k), which is defined as the rate at which a fluid flows through a unit area of the material under a unit pressure difference. Permeability is usually expressed as a dimensionless number, although it can be expressed in units of length (e.g., feet or meters) if a specific context is implied.

Materials with high permeability allow fluids to flow easily through them, while materials with low permeability resist fluid flow. For example, porous rocks such as sandstone and conglomerate have high permeability, making them good aquifers, while non-porous rocks such as granite and basalt have low permeability, making them poor aquifers.

There are several factors that affect the permeability of a material, including its porosity, pore size, and connectivity. The porosity of a material is the fraction of its volume that is occupied by void spaces, while the pore size distribution describes the size and shape of the pores. The connectivity of a material refers to the extent to which the pores are connected, allowing fluids to flow freely through the material.

Understanding permeability is crucial in many fields, including hydrology, groundwater flow, and contaminant migration.