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
Focal cloud Focal cloud A focal cloud is the collection of focal points of an "imperfect" lens or parabolic reflector whether optical, electrostatic or electromagnetic. This includes parabolic antennas and lens-type reflective antennas of all kinds. The effect is analogous to the circle of confusion in photography. In a perfect lens or parabolic reflector, rays parallel to the device's axis striking the lens or reflector all pass through a single point, the focal point. In an imperfectly constructed lens or reflector, rays passing through different parts of the element do not converge to a single point but have different focal points. The