The hydrogeological classification of superficial clay
This study aims to identify methodologies which can be combined in a framework to provide a classification scheme for superficial clay deposits
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The quantification of recharge to major aquifers, through superficial drift, remains a principal concern for both groundwater resource estimation and when evaluating the protection of such resources from pollutants. This study aims to identify methodologies which can be combined in a framework to provide a classification scheme for superficial clay deposits. It focuses on the properties of lodgement tills, which form the dominant lithology of glacial deposits in the U.K.
The development of new methods for investigating such deposits, and subsequently in determining their role in groundwater resource estimation and protection, relies on understanding the major controls on groundwater flow through tills; these include physical properties such as grain size, fissuring and consolidation, in addition to the geochemical and mineralogical properties which retard the migration of solutes.