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The amount of water in a water-bearing formation, also known as an aquifer, is primarily determined by the porosity of the formation. Porosity refers to the percentage of void spaces (pores) in the rock or sediment that can hold water. A formation with high porosity can contain more water, while one with low porosity will hold less.
Understanding porosity is crucial for assessing the capacity of an aquifer. For instance, porous materials like sand and gravel generally have higher porosities compared to less porous materials like clay or hard rock, which can significantly impact water supply and availability.
While temperature, depth, and location can have effects on water quality, flow rates, and pressure conditions within the formation, they do not directly affect the volume of water that the formation can hold. Thus, porosity is the key factor in determining how much water a water-bearing formation can provide.