Lyell Collection
Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Lyell Centre  |   Lyell Collection  |   Subscriptions   |   Geological Society  |   Email alerts  |   Online bookshop  |   Help

Keywords:
Author:
Advanced search>>
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Akhurst, M. C.
Right arrow Articles by Wealthall, G. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation
Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2006; v. 263; p. 187-198;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2006.263.01.10
© 2006 Geological Society of London

Flow

Towards understanding the Dumfries Basin aquifer, SW Scotland

M. C. Akhurst1, D. F. Ball1, L. Brady2, D. K. Buckley3, J. Burns4, W. G. Darling3, A. M. MacDonald1, A. A. McMillan1, B. É. Ó Dochartaigh1, D. W. Peach3, N. S. Robins3 & G. P. Wealthall5

1 British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA, UK
2 Scottish Water, 419 Balmore Road, Glasgow G22 6NU, UK
3 British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK nsro{at}bgs.ac.uk
4 Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Rivers House, Irongray Road, Dumfries DG2 0JE, UK
5 British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK

The Dumfries Basin aquifer supports groundwater abstraction for public supply, agriculture and industry. Abstraction is concentrated in the western part of the basin, where falling groundwater levels and deteriorating water quality both reflect the effects of intense pumping. There are two bedrock units: a predominantly breccia-coarse sandstone sequence in the west, interfingering with a predominantly sandstone sequence in the NE and east. The basin is bounded by weakly permeable Lower Palaeozoic rocks, and is largely concealed by variable superficial deposits. Surface water flows onto the basin from the surrounding catchment via the Nith and the Lochar Water and their respective tributaries. Direct rainfall recharge occurs via superficial sands and gravels, especially in the north, and discharge is predominantly to the rivers in the central area rather than the sea. A picture is developing of two main aquifer types within the basin: the high-transmissivity western sector underlain by a fracture-flow system with younger water and active recharge and a high nitrate content, compared with the east where groundwater residence times are longer and the storage capacity is higher.