Defines porosity as storage capacity and permeability as flow connectivity, using the sponge analogy to distinguish between holding water and letting it pass through.
Learn MotionWhy Oceans Don't Drain Into the Ground
Permeability and Porosity: The Key Barriers
Porosity vs. Permeability
1 / 4
Let's start with a crucial distinction. Porosity is about storage—it's the empty space inside a material. Permeability is about connection—it's whether those spaces link up to let fluid move. Imagine a sponge versus a solid rock. The sponge soaks up water and lets it pass through. The rock might have tiny holes, but if they're sealed off, water can't get through. For the ocean to drain, the seafloor needs to be permeable, not just porous.
0:00 / 0:00