Which can be excluded from the list of underground materials that holds water in the Ogallala aquifer?(1 point)
Responses
gravel
gravel
mineral
mineral
silt
silt
sand
The Ogallala aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is one of the world's largest aquifers and is located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. This aquifer is made up of a combination of materials that can store and transmit water effectively. When considering typical materials that compose aquifers, gravel, silt, and sand are all common elements that have the porosity and permeability necessary to hold and convey groundwater.
On the other hand, the term "mineral" is non-specific and can refer to a wide variety of substances, not all of which would be involved in storing or transmitting water within an aquifer. Since your question seems to be asking which of the listed options is least likely to be associated with the function of holding water within the aquifer, "mineral" would be the most reasonable choice to exclude, provided "mineral" is used in the most general sense. Minerals like quartz or feldspar might be components of the aquifer's sand and gravel, but otherwise, minerals as a broad group don't constitute a specific underground material known for holding water in the context of an aquifer.
Therefore, "mineral" can likely be excluded from the list of underground materials that specifically hold water in the Ogallala aquifer.