Question

What happens to the water in a confined aquifer if a well or fracture intersects it? its depth in the ground will sink downward. it may flow upward to produce an artesian well. it will stay confined between rock layers. it will move laterally until it finds a way out?

Answer 1

A confined aquifer is a permeable rock unit found deep underground. It is usually overlain by another relatively impermeable rock or clay. This rock or clay layer limits the movement of the underground water whether into or out of the aquifer.

Since water is a liquid, therefore, is is always seeking a way out to leak.

Based on this,   when a confined aquifer intersects with a fracture or a well, the water inside the aquifer will tend to move laterally until it can find a spot to leak from.

Therefore, the answer is "It will move laterally until it finds a way out"