1. of, relating to, or occurring in groundwater or the zone of saturation beneath the water table
Usage: technical; geology/hydrogeology
2. of or relating to a volcanic eruption caused by the interaction of magma with groundwater
Usage: technical; volcanology

Examples

• The phreatic zone extends from the water table down to the impermeable bedrock.
• Geologists studied phreatic aquifers to understand the region's water resources.
• A phreatic eruption occurred when magma contacted the shallow groundwater beneath the volcano.
• The well taps into the phreatic layer where water is consistently available.
• Phreatic conditions in the soil affect the stability of underground structures.