What term describes the void spaces in soil that water can occupy?

The term that describes the void spaces in soil that water can occupy is porosity. Porosity refers to the percentage of the total volume of soil that consists of void spaces or pores. These pores can be filled with air or water, and their size and connectivity significantly influence the soil's ability to hold and transmit water.

In the context of soil, a high porosity indicates a greater capacity for holding water, which is essential for various engineering and environmental applications, including drainage, stability, and planting. Understanding porosity helps contractors and engineers assess how soils behave under different conditions, particularly regarding water movement and retention.

Permeability, while related, specifically deals with how easily water can flow through the soil's pore spaces. Saturation refers to the condition in which all the voids in the soil are filled with water, and void ratio is a measure of the volume of voids to the volume of solids in the soil. While all these concepts are interconnected, porosity directly answers the question regarding the void spaces that can be occupied by water.