saturation state

Saturation state describes whether a solution contains the maximum amount of a substance—like minerals or gases—that it can hold at a given temperature and pressure. If it's "saturated," no more of that substance can dissolve, and excess may start to form crystals or bubbles. If it's "unsaturated," the solution can still dissolve more. Understanding saturation helps predict when minerals will precipitate out or gases will come out of solution, which is important in fields like geology, chemistry, and environmental science.