What are Artesian Wells & How do They Work?
Water flows naturally to the ground surface of an artesian well, pushed there by higher pressure groundwater deeper in the earth. “Artesian” refers to Artois, the region in France that gave this type of water source its name. The Latin form of Artois is Artesia. The level of groundwater is not “flat” under the surface of the earth. Rather underground water tends to follow the countours of the ground surface. When the underground water reservoir is actually higher than the well that taps into it, water is forced from the higher level to the surface of the artesian well. At Sinkholes in Estonia-The Witches’ Well we describe a non-artesian well that also pushes groundwater to the surface when a nearby underground river floods.
