What term is used to describe the capacity of soil to transmit water?

The term that describes the capacity of soil to transmit water is permeability. Permeability refers to the ability of soil to allow water to flow through its pore spaces, which is influenced by both the size of the soil particles and the arrangement of those particles. Soils with high permeability, such as sandy soils, allow water to pass through quickly, while soils with low permeability, like clay, slow down water movement significantly.

Porosity, while related, specifically refers to the volume of void spaces within the soil that can hold water but does not directly indicate how easily the water can move through those spaces. Absorption pertains to the uptake of water by the soil but does not describe the movement of water through it. Soil texture describes the composition of the soil based on particle size distribution, which affects both porosity and permeability but isn’t a direct measure of water transmission capability. Thus, permeability is the most precise term for the soil's capacity to transmit water.