Water Table Effects

In general there does not appear to be a systematic change in gradient (higher or lower) associated with the water table. Even some porous rocks (Chalk Butte siltstones, f = 30%) show no saturation effect. Coarser grained lithologic types (sand and gravel) may, but water flow effects frequently obscure any systematic behavior.  The speed of the flow and the length of time the water has been flowing in the region will influence the amount of effect the water table has on the surrounding rocks, and therefore, on the temperature-depth curve.