In which zone does the water table reside?

The water table represents the boundary between two zones: the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone. It is located at the top of the saturated zone, where all the voids or spaces in the soil or rock are filled with water. In the saturated zone, groundwater accumulates and fills the pores of the materials beneath the water table.

The unsaturated zone, which exists above the water table, contains both air and water in the pores and is characterized by partially saturated conditions. The capillary fringe is a specific area right above the water table where water is pulled up by capillary action into the soil above the saturated zone. The vadose zone also refers to the unsaturated area above the water table but is a broader term that encompasses both the unsaturated zone and the capillary fringe.

Therefore, the correct understanding is that the water table is distinctly located at the top of the saturated zone, marking where freed water becomes present.