Which property determines how much water soil can store?

Which property determines how much water soil can store?

• A. Permeability
• B. Saturation
• C. Porosity
• D. Density

Answer: (C)

Porosity is the amount of pore space in soil—the empty gaps that can hold water. The more pore space a soil has, the more water it can store, up to limits set by pore sizes and drainage. Permeability describes how easily water moves through the soil, not how much it can hold. Saturation is about how full the pores are at a given moment, not the total storage capacity. Density is about how tightly the soil is packed, which affects porosity but does not itself determine the total amount of water the soil can store. The actual water stored also depends on pore size distribution, but porosity sets the upper limit of storage.

Porosity is the amount of pore space in soil—the empty gaps that can hold water. The more pore space a soil has, the more water it can store, up to limits set by pore sizes and drainage. Permeability describes how easily water moves through the soil, not how much it can hold. Saturation is about how full the pores are at a given moment, not the total storage capacity. Density is about how tightly the soil is packed, which affects porosity but does not itself determine the total amount of water the soil can store. The actual water stored also depends on pore size distribution, but porosity sets the upper limit of storage.