# Potentiometric surface

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A **potentiometric surface** is the imaginary plane where a given [reservoir](/source/Reservoir) of fluid will "equalize out to" if allowed to flow. A potentiometric surface is based on [hydraulic](/source/Hydraulic) principles. For example, two connected storage tanks with one full and one empty will gradually fill/drain to the same level. This is because of atmospheric pressure and gravity. This idea is heavily used in city water supplies - a tall [water tower](/source/Water_tower) containing the [water supply](/source/Water_supply) has a great enough potentiometric surface to provide flowing water at a decent pressure to the houses it supplies.

For [groundwater](/source/Groundwater) "potentiometric surface" is a synonym of "piezometric surface" which is an imaginary surface that defines the level to which water in a [confined aquifer](/source/Confined_aquifer) would rise were it completely pierced with [wells](/source/Water_well).[1] If the potentiometric surface lies above the ground surface, a flowing [artesian well](/source/Artesian_well) results. [Contour maps](/source/Contour_maps) and profiles of the potentiometric surface can be prepared from the well data.

## See also

- [Hydraulic head](/source/Hydraulic_head)

## References

- *Earth: Portrait of a Planet; Second edition*; Stephen Marshak, 2005 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc (Page 604–605)

1. Younger, Paul (2007). *Groundwater in the Environment*. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4051-2143-9.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Potentiometric surface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometric_surface) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometric_surface?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.