Aquifer

An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material consisting of permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology. Related concepts include aquitard, a bed of low permeability along an aquifer, and aquiclude (or aquifuge), a solid and impermeable region underlying or overlying an aquifer, the pressure of which could lead to the formation of a confined aquifer. Aquifers can be classified as saturated versus unsaturated; aquifers versus aquitards; confined versus unconfined; isotropic versus anisotropic; porous, karst, or fractured; and transboundary aquifer. (Source: Wikipedia | CC BY-SA)

Image: Boat sailing on the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea faces severe climate risks, study warnsClimate

Mediterranean Sea faces severe climate risks, study warns

A recent study led by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel investigated how strongly marine and coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea are already…
SourceSourceSeptember 8, 2025 Full article
Image: drought, Spain
Global drought hotspots report catalogs severe suffering, economic damage in 2023-2025News

Global drought hotspots report catalogs severe suffering, economic damage in 2023-2025

Food, water, energy crises, human tragedies in 2023-2025 detailed in sweeping analysis Fuelled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some…
SourceSourceJuly 3, 2025 Full article
Image: Grand Coulee Dam in Eastern Washington (s. groundwater)
Ancient aquifers hint at future water shortages in SouthwestScience

Ancient aquifers hint at future water shortages in Southwest

New study led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution builds on earlier work and shows the Southwest may be more sensitive to drying than the Pacific…
SourceSourceJune 20, 2025 Full article
Image: Water drop (s. health, water wells, pesticides)
Stable water storage amid climate change with aquifer solutionsScience

Stable water storage amid climate change with aquifer solutions

In recent years, the global water cycle has been increasingly disrupted by the effects of climate change, leading to more frequent floods and droughts. This…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreSeptember 26, 2024 Full article
Image: Desert (s. aquifer, climate change, water resources, remote sensing)
Airborne technology brings new hope to map shallow aquifers in Earth’s most arid desertsScience

Airborne technology brings new hope to map shallow aquifers in Earth’s most arid deserts

Airborne sounding radars can perform comprehensive mapping within a few hours compared to existing in-situ methods that would take a few years. Water shortages are…
SourceSourceMay 17, 2024 Full article