YADANABON UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY

Types of Geological Formations of Groundwater

Project Paper Submitted by

ROLL NO. NAME

4/Geol. 49 Mg Toe Tat Htut

December 2023
 Types of Geological Formations of Groundwater
There are four different types of geological formations of groundwater:

1. Aquifer

2. Aquitard

3. Aquiclude

4. Aquifuge

1. Aquifer
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 granite and schist
while those with high porosity and high permeability are regarded as excellent
aquifers and include rock like fractured volcanic rocks.

(A) 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
nonpermeable 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.
 (B) 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
2. Aquitard
An aquitard is also a saturated formation. It permits the water through it
but does not yield water in sufficient quantity as much as aquifer does. It is
because of their partly permeable nature. But however, if there is an aquifer
under the aquitard then the water from aquitard may seep into the aquifer.
Sandy clay is a perfect example of an aquitard. Here, the clay particles block the
voids present in the sand and make it partly permeable.

3. Aquiclude
An aquiclude is a geological formation which is impermeable to the flow
of water. It contains a large amount of water in it but it does not permit water
through it and also does not yield water. It is because of its high porosity. Clay is
an example of aquiclude.
4. Aquifuge
An aquifuge is an impermeable geological formation which is neither
porous nor permeable - which means it cannot store water in it and at the same
time it cannot permit water through it. Compact rock is an example of aquifuge.

Comparison of Groundwater formations

The above-described geological groundwater formations are compared in
the table below which gives a better idea about their properties.
Geological
formations/ Aquifer Aquitard Aquiclude Aquifuge
Properties

Water storage Yes Yes Yes No

Permeability of Partly
Permeable Impermeable Impermeable
water permeable

Yes but slow

Yield of water Yes Do not yield Do not yield
yielding

Sand, Compact rocks such

Examples Sandy clay Clay
Gravel as granite, basalt etc.
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