Aquifer properties

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Africa Groundwater Atlas >> Resource pages >> Key hydrogeological processes >> Aquifer Properties

Please cite page as: Africa Groundwater Atlas. 2023. Aquifer properties. British Geological Survey. Accessed [date you accessed the information]. Weblink.


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Aquifer properties

Aquifer properties are the physical hydraulic characteristics of aquifers. They are quantitative data that are used to describe an aquifer and help understand how groundwater in the aquifer exists and behaves. Aquifer properties are the most important way to describe the hydrogeology of an aquifer.

Key aquifer properties are permeability (or hydraulic conductivity), transmissivity, storativity and specific yield; porosity and specific capacity.

To get reliable information on aquifer properties, aquifer testing must be carried out. Carrying out controlled test pumping of boreholes allows estimates of aquifer thickness, permeability, transmissivity and storage to be made. Without controlled pumping tests, it is not possible to accurately estimate these aquifer properties. The assessing source yield page gives an overview of pumping tests designed to assess borehole yield; some of these tests can also be used to estimate key aquifer properties, including transmissivity and/or specific capacity.

In many parts of Africa, quantitative aquifer properties data are scarce, and surrogate data and information must be used instead in order to characterise aquifers. The most commonly available hydrogeological data are geology; borehole depth; and borehole yield. Geological and borehole yield data have been used to develop the hydrogeology map used in this Atlas.


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