What is indicated by lower porosity in a material?

Lower porosity in a material indicates that there are fewer pore spaces available for fluids, such as water, to occupy. As a result, when water attempts to flow through a material with low porosity, it encounters more resistance due to the limited pathways available. This resistance contributes to a slower movement of water through the material.

Additionally, materials with lower porosity often have a denser structure, making it more difficult for water to navigate through them. Consequently, this lower porosity directly correlates with reduced permeability, which is the ability of a material to transmit fluids.

This understanding is fundamental in fields such as hydrogeology, where assessing the porosity and permeability of geological formations is crucial for determining groundwater flow and the suitability of materials for containing or transmitting water.