Regional groundwater flow in sedimentary basins in the U.K.

Abstract

Summary The U.K. contains seven groundwater provinces. Regional groundwater flow systems occur in these provinces above an essentially impermeable basement of varying age. The pattern of flow in the U.K. is strongly influenced by the distribution of the Permo-Triassic sandstones. Intermediate flow systems are encouraged by the scarp and vale topography that has developed as a consequence of the alternating sequence of aquifers and aquicludes in the Mesozoic. Regional changes in groundwater chemistry reveal the direction of flow paths, and isotopic ratios and inert gas contents give an indication of the residence time of water in the flow systems. The composition of the groundwater in deep systems has been modified by shale-membrane filtration. Density settling may be a feature in thick relatively homogeneous aquifers.

Conodont Colour Alteration pattern in the Carboniferous of the Craven Basin and adjacent areas, northern England

“…These values are probably caused by circulating groundwater (Downing et al, 1987), which relates either to a Carboniferous aquifer or a localised concentration of fracturing.…”

Review of tufa deposition and palaeohydrological conditions in the White Peak, Derbyshire, UK: implications for Quaternary landscape evolution

“…Hydrogeology and hydrology. The regional hydraulic gradient of the groundwater of the White Peak is towards the east (Downing et al, 1987). Current surface drainage of the White Peak is primarily via the River Wye, which is approximately 25 km in length.…”

Groundwater Baseline Quality

“…In the English Chalk aquifer, for example, groundwater evolution along fl ow paths has been used as a means of characterising baseline groundwater quality and recognising recent inputs infl uenced by pollution from entirely natural trends in deeper, older waters (Edmunds et al 1987). Studies of hydrogeochemistry in dated palaeowaters have also been carried out by Hendry et al (1991) for the well-characterised Milk River aquifer in Canada.…”

“…A fi rst approach to defi ning baseline values in the UK aquifers, as a whole, is given by Edmunds et al (2003), where a geochemical approach was favoured over a purely statistical one. Several detailed national studies of natural trace element concentrations in the UK, USA and Norway (Edmunds et al 1987;Frengstad et al 2000;Lee and Helsel 2005) have also been used to explore the abundance of a wide range of constituents derived largely from geological sources. More recently, the main aquifers in England and Wales were individually subject to studies to determine baseline characteristics as a basis for groundwater management and was summarised by Shand et al (2007).…”

“…It forms a major water supply source in the UK and has been the subject of detailed hydrogeological and geochemical investigations (see e.g. Bath et al 1979;Edmunds et al 1982;Downing et al 1987;Edmunds and Smedley 2000;Smedley and Edmunds 2002). It provides a good example to show how inert and reactive chemical tracers help to build a story of the changing baseline as water moves along fl ow paths in the aquifer (Figure 1.5).…”