Lens (hydrology) Lens (hydrology) In hydrology, a lens, also called freshwater lens or Ghyben-Herzberg lens, is a convex-shaped layer of fresh groundwater that floats above the denser saltwater, usually found on small coral or limestone islands and atolls. This aquifer of fresh water is recharged through precipitation that infiltrates the top layer of soil and percolates downwards until it reaches the saturated zone. The recharge rate of the lens can be summarized by the following equation: R = P - ET Where R is the recharge rate in meters, p is precipitation (m), and ET is evapotranspiration (m) of water. With higher
Luneburg lens one side, and formula_14 only on the other: The parameter formula_19 is a constant for any given ray, but differs between rays passing at different distances from the centre of the lens. For rays passing through the centre, it is zero. In some special cases, such as for Maxwell's fish-eye, this first order equation can be further integrated to give a formula for formula_14 as a function or formula_13. In general it provides the relative rates of change of formula_14 and formula_13, which may be integrated numerically to follow the path of the ray through the lens. Luneburg lens A