Specific Yield (Sy)

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Formal definition

The ratio of the volume of water that drains by gravity to that of the total volume of the saturated porous medium.

Description

Specific yield is a ratio between 0 and 1 indicating the amount of water released due to drainage, from lowering the water table in an unconfined aquifer.

Why is specific yield important?

This is a measure of the water released from an unconfined aquifer.