Groundwater
Groundwater is water which filters downwards through the ground to below the water table, where it is held in porous rocks. This water is in the 'saturated zone'. It flows through the ground (often very slowly) until it reaches a point of discharge such as a spring, a river or the sea.
Geological formations that contain groundwater which can be extracted are called aquifers, and are an important source of drinking water in the UK and internationally. However, not all water in aquifers is fresh – it can be highly saline. The porosity and permeability of a rock formation affect how much water can be stored and its ability to flow, and hence how good an aquifer the formation is.
General
UK Groundwater Forum: Raising the awareness of groundwater
British Geological Survey: Groundwater Science Research
British Geological Survey: The 2012 Drought
Events
- Sustainability of Groundwater in a Changing World - Shell Lecture, Professor Paul Younger, Newcastle University, June 2012
- The Thames through Time - Shell Lecture, Danielle Schreve, November 2011
Geoscientist Magazine
- A Hole lot of Trouble: a 'Sinkholes' media frenzy - July 2014, article
- Troubled waters: Londons most precious natural resource - May 2013, article
- Deep waters leave a bitter taste: a potential new poison threat to Bangladesh - July 2010, article
Other Articles
The Water-Energy Nexus: A Growing Environmental Threat - European Geologist, May 2013
The UK Groundwater Forum
Use this site to find out more about groundwater and the issues that affect this important natural resource.
Aimed at policy and decision-makers as well as the wider public, 'Geology for Society' outlines the importance of geology to our society.