YADANABON UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY

Exploring the Geological Formation of Aquifers

Project Paper
Submitted by

ROLL NO . NAME
4/Geol. 47 Ma Kay Zin Htun

December 2023
 To explore the term ‘Aquifer’ it is paramount to understand a bit about the
natural occurring resource groundwater depended on by vast majority of people and
how it relates to Aquifers.
Ground water is defined as fresh water(from rain, melting of ice and snow)
that soaks into the soil and is stored between pore-spaces, fractures and joints found
in within rocks and other geological formations. Ground water occur in various
geological formations, the ability of geological formations to store water is a
Function of its textural arrangement. The source of groundwater most times could be
linked to surface run-off and infiltration of rainwater into the subsurface and streams
from which it leads to the establishment of the water table and serve as a primary
supplier of streams, springs lakes, bays and oceans.
The textural arrangement (uniformly or tightly arranged texture, loosely
arranged texture) found within most geological formations and rocks have a strong
role to play in water retention and storage capacity of any rock or geological
formation. Geological Formation with uniformly or tightly arranged texture have high
water retaining ability (porosity) but less transmitting or mobility ability
(permeability) while those with higher permeability have sufficiently enough to yield
significant quantities of groundwater to well and springs as such any geological
formation with such characteristic has been referred to as an Aquifer. Let us now
consider other definitions for aquifers and look at the different types that exist based
on its clarification and what influences these classifications.
Aquifers must not only be permeable but must also be porous and are
found to include rock types such as sandstones, conglomerates, fractured limestone
and unconsolidated sand, gravels and fractured volcanic rocks (columnar basalts).
While some aquifers have high porosity and low permeability others have high
porosity and high productivity. Those with high pro porosity and low permeability are
referred to as poor aquifers and include rocks or geological formation such as
granites and schist while those with high porosity and high permeability are regarded
as excellent aquifers and include rock like fractured volcanic rocks.
Classification of Aquifers
Aquifers are generally been classed into two main categories namely
confined aquifer and unconfined aquifers.

Confined aquifers
Confined Aquifers are those bodies of water found accumulating in a
permeable rock and are being enclosed by two impermeable rock layers or rock
bodies. Confined Aquifers are aquifers that are found to be overlain by a confining
rock layer or rock bodies, often made up of clay which might offer some form of
protection form surface contamination. The geological barriers which are non-
permeable and found exist between the aquifer causes the water within it to be
under pressure which is comparatively more than the atmospheric pressure. The
presence of fractures, or cracks in bedrocks is also capable of bearing water in large
openings within bedrocks dissolving some of the rock and accounts for high yields of
well in karst terrain counties like Augusta Bath within Virginia. Groundwater flow
through aquifers is either vertically or horizontally at rates often influenced by
gravity and geological formations in these areas.
Unconfined Aquifer
Unconfined Aquifer unlike confine aquifers are generally found located near
the land surface and have no layers of clay (or other impermeable geological
material) above the water table although they are found lying relatively above
impermeable clay rock layers. The uppermost boundary of groundwater within the
unconfined aquifer is the water table, the groundwater in an unconfined aquifer is
more vulnerable to contamination from surface pollution as compared to that in
confined aquifers this been so due to easy groundwater infiltration by land
pollutants.
Alluvial Deposits
Probably 90 percent of all developed aquifers consists unconsolidated rocks,
chiefly gravel and sand. These aquifers may be divided into four categories based on
manner of occurrence: water course, abandoned or buried valleys, plains and
intermontane valleys. Water courses consist of the alluvium that forms and underlies
stream channels, as well as forming the adjacent floodplains. The sand and gravel
beds of these aquifers produce large quantities of water, most of which is
replenished by seepage from stream into alluvial fans at mouths of mountain
canyons.

Limestone
Limestone varies widely in density, porosity and permeability depending on
degree of consolidation and development of permeable zones aster deposition.
Those most important as aquifers contain sizable proportions of the original rock
that have been dissolved and removed.
The dissolution of calcium carbonate by water cause prevailing hard
groundwater to be found in limestone aquifers ; Solution development of limestone
forms a karst terrain, characterized by solution channels, closed depressions,
subterranean drainage through sinkholes and cave. Major limestone aquifers occur
in the southeastern United States and in the Mediterranean area.

Volcanic Rock
Volcanic rock can form highly permeable aquifers; basalt flows in particular
often display such characteristics. Many of the largest springs in the United States
are associated with basalt deposits. Rhyolites are less permeable than basalt,
whereas shallow intrusive rocks can be practically impermeable.
Sandstone
Sandstone and conglomerate are cemented form of sand and gravel. As such,
their porosity and yield have been reduced by the cement. The best sandstone
aquifers yield water through their joints. Conglomerates have limited distribution
and are unimportant as aquifer.

Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks

Clay
Clay and coarser materials mixed with clay are generally porous, but their
poses are so small that they may be regarded as relatively impermeable. Clayey soils
can provide small domestic water supplies from shallow, large - diameter wells.
In conclusion, Aquifers could be clarified into confined or unconfined aquifers
on the basic of the presence or absence of the positioning of water table.