What is the term for the ability of water to flow through soil via void spaces?

The term for the ability of water to flow through soil via void spaces is permeability. This concept refers specifically to the ease with which water can move through the interconnected spaces in soil or rock. Permeability is influenced by factors such as the size and shape of the soil particles and the arrangement of those particles, which together determine how easily water can navigate through the soil's voids.

Understanding permeability is crucial in fields like civil engineering and environmental science because it affects groundwater movement, drainage, and the design of foundations and other structures. High permeability indicates that water can flow easily through the material, while low permeability suggests restricted water movement, which can have significant implications for construction and land use.

Porosity, another term relevant to soil, describes the volume of void spaces in the soil, but it does not measure how easily water flows through those spaces. Conductivity is often related to how quickly water can move through a material, but it is not the term used to describe the flow of water through the soil itself. Absorption typically refers to how much water a material can take in rather than its ability to allow the water to flow through it.