Both consolidated and unconsolidated geological materials are important as aquifers. Of the consolidated materials (ie. bedrock), sedimentary rocks are the most important because they tend to have the highest porosities and permeabilities.
Sedimentary rock formations are exposed over approximately 70% of the earth’s land surface. These sedimentary formations are typically hundreds to thousands of metres thick, and they are underlain by the igneous and metamorphic rocks that make up the rest of the crust.
Although most bedrock aquifers are within sedimentary rock, in some
areas igneous or metamorphic rock can be important as aquifers.
Bedrock aquifers
Much of the bedrock is also covered with tens to hundreds of metres of
unconsolidated sediments (a.k.a. surficial deposits or drift). These
include colluvial materials (deposited from mass wasting) alluvial materials
(deposited by flowing water), glacial deposits and eolian (wind-blown)
deposits. They are “unconsolidated” because they have not been around
long enough, and have not been buried deep enough to have become
lithified.
Surficial deposits that are more than a few metres thick can be very
important sources of groundwater, partly because they tend to have quite
high porosities and permeabilities, and also because they are amenable for the development of wells.
We will discuss the aquifer properties of specific types of rock and surficial