What happens to water in a flowing artesian well?

In a flowing artesian well, water is released due to underground pressure. This type of well taps into an aquifer that is confined between two impermeable layers of rock or clay. The water in the aquifer is under pressure, and when a well is drilled into this confined aquifer, the natural pressure causes the water to rise above the level where it was initially contained and to flow freely at the surface without the need for pumping.

The presence of this underground pressure is critical to the function of a flowing artesian well. It allows the water to flow continuously and often creates a visible fountain-like effect when the well is constructed properly. This mechanism is fundamentally different from stagnant water systems, where there is no movement, and manual pumping, which requires human intervention. Moreover, evaporation occurs primarily at the surface and is unrelated to the behavior of water within the aquifer. Thus, understanding the principles of hydrostatic pressure in confined aquifers elucidates why flowing artesian wells can bring water to the surface naturally.