What is specific yield?

Specific yield is the ratio of the volume of water that a saturated aquifer will yield by gravity to the volume of the aquifer. It is a measure of the amount of water that can be extracted from an aquifer under the influence of gravity. Specific yield is an important parameter in hydrogeology and is used to calculate the amount of water that can be extracted from an aquifer for various purposes such as irrigation, drinking water supply, and industrial use.

Specific yield is the ratio of the volume of water a rock or soil can release by gravity drainage to the volume of the rock or soil. It is a measure of the amount of water that can be extracted from the rock or soil under natural conditions without pumping. Specific yield is an important parameter for groundwater modeling and management.