The water table, as used routinely by hydrologists in various disciplines, is seemingly a simple concept: it marks the top of the saturated zone in porous media. But closer inspection reveals that much of the theory and practice concerning the water table are less straightforward than is often assumed. We review departures from the classical definition of the water table and consider the following phenomena: perched and inverted water tables, gas bubbles within the “saturated” zone below the water table, and water tables in dual (and multiple) porosity media. We discuss some of the different methods used for measuring the position of the water table, their relative practicalities, and how to avoid measurement errors, such as those associated with hydrological instrument response times. We question whether the water table remains a useful concept, and conclude that it does, citing the examples of groundwater resource management and the water table's use as an indicator of soil aeration. In the concluding discussion, we identify the precautions that can be taken to ensure water tables are appropriately measured and interpreted.

中文翻译：

---

地下水位：其概念基础、测量方法及其作为水文变量的用途

各个学科的水文学家经常使用的地下水位似乎是一个简单的概念：它标志着多孔介质中饱和带的顶部。但仔细观察会发现，有关地下水位的许多理论和实践并不像通常假设的那样简单。我们回顾了对地下水位经典定义的偏离，并考虑了以下现象：栖息和倒置的地下水位，地下水位下方“饱和”区域内的气泡，以及双（和多）孔隙度介质中的地下水位。我们讨论了一些用于测量地下水位位置的不同方法、它们的相对实用性以及如何避免测量误差，例如与水文仪器响应时间相关的误差。我们质疑地下水位是否仍然是一个有用的概念，并得出结论，它引用了地下水资源管理的例子和地下水位作为土壤通气指标的使用。在最后的讨论中，我们确定了可以采取的预防措施，以确保适当地测量和解释地下水位。