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waterlogging — English
A layer (bed) or layers of porous soil, regolith or substrate (rock) that is completely saturated with water, which means that all the available interstitial pores (spaces between the particles) are filled with water (see “aquifer”). This material cannot absorb more water. Some materials, such as clayey and silty soils are more likely to become oversaturated than highly porous sandy material. Compression of sandy material would probably force some of the interstitial water out of the mass of material, but that does not apply to clayey and silty material. Waterlogging might be an exceedingly hazardous condition in regions where landslides and mudflows (see “mass wasting”) are likely to occur as the addition of more water may result in the collapse of the material. It might also be a costly and frustrating condition for farmers who cannot work their land when it is waterlogged, and any construction projects or building activities are forced into costly downtime. However, waterlogging is the normal condition for wetlands like marshes and swamps. Wildlife in wetland environments are adapted to these conditions, provided the water is not polluted and contaminated by hazardous substances.
