specific retention

specific retention

[spə¦sif·ik ri′ten·chən] (geology) The ratio of the volume of water that a given body of rock or soil will retain after saturation, and the pull of gravity to the volume of the body itself.

specific retention

The percentage of water which will be retained by rock or soil (against the pull of gravity) after being saturated; computed in terms of the ratio of volume of water retained to its own value.