Relating to a well or aquifer where water rises to the surface under natural pressure, without the need for pumping. Artesian water comes from confined aquifers where the water table is higher than the well opening.
Named after the former province of Artois in northern France, where such wells were first drilled in the 12th century by Carthusian monks. The French 'artésien' became the standard term for this type of pressurized groundwater system.
The Great Artesian Basin under Australia is so massive it could cover most of the United States! This underground water source has sustained Aboriginal communities for thousands of years and still supplies water to remote cattle stations across the Outback through natural springs and bores.
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