Availability and Management of Groundwater Resources

Prof. Prasoon Kumar Singh

Lecture - 15
Confined and Unconfined Aquifer and their Parameters (Continued)

Welcome you all once again in the NPTEL course on the subject availability and management of
groundwater resources. Today we will discuss the fourth module related to the subject entitled
confined and unconfined aquifer and their parameters. So, from the very beginning we have
started from the hydrological cycle important cycles which give us the availability of
groundwater resources within the earth's surface.

There were several parameters of the hydrological cycles we have seen. The infiltration, the
percolation, the evapotranspiration, then the runoff, then the precipitation and among all
parameters the one recharge parameter is available in the nature that is the precipitations. So,
within that we came across that the precipitated water infiltrates down to the soil layers and then
the rock layers inside the earth surface percolates.

And then it moves towards the gravity store in certain rocks in rocks and within the rocks the
generally groundwater remains inside the earth surface. So, this movement we have seen in the
very first lecture. In the second lecture, we have seen some of the formations the important
formations the geological formations, which generally hold the groundwater. And the third
lecture we have seen that the some of the zones inside the or surface vadose zones, saturated
zones live within the earth's surface.

Which are also very important for the movement of the groundwater inside the earth surface. So,
now today we will concentrate on the confined and unconfined aquifers and their parameters.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:28)
We have seen if we will just see we have seen that inside the earth surface we are having some
for layers inside the earth surface we are having the different formations say at the just beneath
the earth surface we are having the soil formation then small, small rock formations and in this
way, we are getting we are having some bigger rocks and then our rocks which is holding the
groundwater.

So, this is this one is impermeable rocks and here you above it just these rocks are having the
behaviour to store some of the rainwater as a groundwater. So, this behaviour generally we have
seen and we have termed these rocky formations as an aquifer. So, these aquifer today's we will
just enter in the greater detail about these rocky formations because we have in the prior
whatever we have discussed in the earlier lectures which we have discussed that the; different
rock formations because the rock formation has come up with the different age during the
different age. These rock formations have been created and the characteristic of the different
formations inside the earth surface is also having different in nature. So, what is there that those
rocks from the very beginning we have learned that those rocks which is having the ability to
store the water.

It is very important that it the rocks should have the porous structure that is it is having some
pore volume also. So, in the pores the rocks will be there a water will be there and this behaviour
of the rocks formations which is just to storing the water in it is known as the porosity, we have
learned earlier porosity. It means that the rock which is holding the groundwater should have a
very good porous behaviour.

So, what this is one thing. Second thing this is the one setup of rock inside the earth surface this
is the second set of the rocks which is also bearing. This is also holding the ground water, this is
also holding the groundwater, this is also in the ground water. So, similarly this is another set of
formations which is also having the grounwater. So, suppose this set of formation is having good
amount of ground water.

Then what will happen, if it will be extracted then it will the volume of the water will reduce
here. Then what will happen? Time will come then there will be no water in these formations.
So, what should be the second property? First property that is to have the ability to store the
water good, so what should be the second property that this aquifer should have ability also.
What ability for what? Ability for receiving the water from another aquifer, as well as
transferring the water from this aquifer to this aquifer this property should be there. This property
should be there. Then what will happen? Suppose we are extracting the volume of water from
this aquifer if it is having the ability to receive the water then what will happen from this aquifer
the water will come here and it will fill up.

Otherwise, if not then what will happen then we will see that this aquifer is just it will remain dry
because the water has been extracted already, so no amount of water is there. And since it is
having no characteristic also it is having it is good it is having good porosity. But ability to
transmit the water is very poor. So, it is not a good aquifer but here what we are seeing that this
is also a very good formation which is holding the water inside the earth surface.

So, here what we are seeing this is an aquifer this is a rocky formation first, this rocky formation
in from it also we are just drawing the water strapping the water. So, what is happening; the
volume of water is reducing in this since reducing in this but what is happening? Just from this
aquifer and this aquifer the remaining water whatever water has been extracted is again filling
this aquifer.
So, it means that not only this aquifer is good but these two are aquifer also good because they
are holding the water and when they were needed it also able to transmit the water to one aquifer
to another aquifer. So, it means that underground formation underground geological formation
should have ability to store the water as well as to transmit the water. And on that basis the two
different types of aquifers have been classified known as unconfined aquifer and confined
aquifer what we have discussed just now.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:44)

So, this is the two different types of aquifer one is the confined aquifer another is a unconfined
aquifer. First of all, we should know aquifer is a rock formation, underground rock formations or
water bearing rock formation or geological formation which yields sufficient amount of
groundwater from for wells and springs. So, this is having sufficient amount of water. According
to some geological meaning aquifer can be referred as a body of saturated rock.

Since it is having the water so a saturated rock or geological formation through which water can
easily move into wells and streams. So, again the point permeability is here it is having the
ability to transmit the water. So, what is in actual sense aquifer is a saturated formation of the
earth surface and it not only stores the water but also yields it in adequate quantity. So, only the
storing is not the characteristics of any aquifer.
But whenever needed; it can yield a very good volume of water also, so this is called an aquifer.
Generally, on the basis of their occurrence it is very important on the basis of their occurrence
the aquifer is divided into two important types. First is called as unconfined aquifer and second is
called a confined aquifer. So, as the word just describes unconfined means the formations the
rocky formation is definitely remaining in unconfined mode.

Means it is not confined means it is not just in a closed manner. So, this is a set of formations the
geological formations which is having the ability to store the water but this aquifer is having a
permeable bed just for stopping the water on the this very area. So, if there will be no
impermeable beds here, then what will happen the water will again move down and then it will
hold the water not at this place but to some different place.

Whereas in the case of confined, confined means some rock formations are there, these rocks
formation are porous in nature, so these are having the water but point is that it is tightly being
enclosed from the top as well as the bottom. So, what is happening? In this case the water in the
formations remains with the hydrostatic pressure it remains with the hydro static
pressure. Whereas in this case, the water in the formations it remains with that contact to the
atmosphere that is the atmospheric pressure.

So, here since it is confined and confined means just at the top as well as bottom of this
formation which is having a very good porous behaviour having a very good volume of water is
just being restricted to move the water up and down by some impermeable beds. So, these beds
are impermeable means these beds are having the characteristics not to receive the water not to
send the water. So, this is the case.

So, what will happen? The water in this area will remain in a very great pressure this is known as
the hydrostatic pressure. Now since in this case this is also a formation geological formation this
is also formation but, in this case, only the formation is covered by impermeable layer just
beneath it or in the bottom, whereas here at the top as well as bottom we are having the layer
geological formations which is just including the water body within the area.
So, here the water remains with great pressure that is hydrostatic pressure where there here in
this case the water remains with the at most contact with the atmosphere that is with the
atmospheric pressure. So, this type of rectifier is termed as unconfined this is not confined, so it
is unconfined whereas this type of refer which is just overlain and underlain by confining beds or
some formations or some rocks, which is not transmitting the water nor receiving the water.

So, this is called as confined aquifer. So, this is the basic difference between the confined aquifer
and unconfined aquifer. The point is an aquifer is a rocky formation which is having the water
storing ability as well as ability to transmit the water from one aquifer to another aquifer. Second
is that this on the basis of occurrence the aquifer means the rocky formation inside the earth
surface because we have to know about the ability of the groundwater resources.

Now we came aware that the water will remain inside the earth surface in certain rock
formations. Now we have also understood that the rock formations should have the important
characteristics in the form of porosity and permeability are greater details we have understood
that the rock formation which is just holding the water it is having good porosity as well as good
permeability.

So, now we have understood that the groundwater remains in rock formations and these rock
formations may be either the unconfined type of rock formations or confined type of rock
formations. So, these rock formations are termed as aquifer either in unconfined aquifer or in
confined aquifer. The confined and unconfined aquifers have been divided on the basis of
overlain and underlain by some confining beds.

If the aquifer is just underlain by any confining beds, confining beds means those beds which are
having the porosity which are having the ability to store the water but not having the ability to
store to transmit or move the water from one aquifer to another. So, this criterion has subdivided
the aquifer the rocky formations into two different categories. What is we are knowing as a
unconfined aquifer and confined aquifer? Now, we will understand some greater detail about
these two.
(Refer Slide Time: 14:43)
Here we can see, this is a very small sketch about the just showing you the different types of
aquifers, here we can see that the unconfined aquifer. Why unconfined aquifer? Because here
some rock is there lock is solid rock and this is clay solid rock means consolidated rock I have
told you in the consolidated rock there are lesser chances of getting pores rather we are having
the chances of getting fractures or lineaments.

Where this is clay, clay is also a type of confined beds. So, what is the; it is also restricting the
movement of water it is the store water here the store groundwater here that is why this
formation is termed as unconfined aquifer. But it is not allowing this layer of the rock formations
inside the earth surface. They are not allowing to move the drop of water from unconfined
aquifer to this aquifer.

So, what is happening? In the case of unconfined aquifer, we have seen that the top part of the
unconfined aquifer called as the water table. So, here we are getting the water table. Now in the
case of this one is the case of artesian aquifer; here we can see the valley is there because water
level moves up to here. Now just beneath it we have having the aquifer known as confined
aquifer, confined aquifer means we are having the bedrock her.

Bedrock or consolidated rock it is not having the ability to store the water, it is not having to
ability to transmit the water. Above it also or the solid rock clay, which is a confining bed, so
these two beds just restricting the volume of water to remain here only. So, this is called as
confined aquifer. In the case of confined aquifer, the water remains with greater pressure
whereas in case of unconfined required the water remains just open to the atmosphere.

So, here we are getting in case of unconfined aquifer the water remains with the atmospheric
pressure where here in the confined aquifer the water remains in the hydrostatic pressure. So, this
we have seen.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:49)

Now if you will see in detail, this unconfined aquifer just are generally found located near the
land surface. Generally, we can we are having the unconfined type of aquifer in the shallower
depth or near to the land surface and having no layers of clay, clay we are knowing it is a
permeable geologic material clay above the water table, although they are formed lying relatively
above impermeable clay rock layers.

So, generally unconfined aquifers are found located at the shallower depth without any clay
layers. Because clay having the property that it will store the water it will having the ability to
store the water but it is not having the ability to transmit the water to move the water. So, that is
why the unconfined aquifer generally lies at the near to the land surface just near to the earth
surface and the uppermost boundary of the unconfined aquifer is termed as the water table.
So, uppermost boundary of the unconfined aquifer is termed as water table the ground water in a
confined aquifer is more vulnerable to contamination from surface pollution as compared to in
case of confined aquifers. Because in the case of confined aquifers it is a bit deeper and easy
groundwater infiltration by land pollutants are generally seen noticed in the case of unconfined
aquifer.

So, this is there in the case of unconfined aquifers the contaminants flow is more whereas in the
case of confined aquifers generally we are getting less pollution in the water of the confined
aquifers. Now fluctuation in the level of groundwater, this also is there in the case of unconfined
aquifer because we have seen the case of unconfined poor just beneath the earth surface that
shallower depth the aquifers which are remaining it was nothing rocky formations which are
remaining.

This top part in known as the water table which just remain in open to the atmosphere. Pollutants
we have seen that land pollutants are really available to mix with the shallower unconfined
aquifer. So, in this aquifer the water table what we have seen, the upper part of the water
groundwater level in the unconfined aquifer termed as water table. This generally fluctuate
depends on the different times and of the different season.

It behaves just vary from one depth to another depth. So, this means that suppose in during the
summer time generally the water table remains at a greater depth. So, if this is the earth surface
so and if this is one of the shallow dug well is here and this dug well is of the unconfined in
nature behaviour and this is the water table. So, during the summer season this water table
remains at this place.

But what happens and this is the just the; your well what we have constructed here. So, this is the
depth of the water in the well ‘H’. Now what has happened next during this is it is in the summer
season, summer season the water table is here. After monsoon the same well the what we have
seen that this water table just rises up, it rises up. Now the water table just arises this much.
Why? Because of the infiltration percolation and more amount of water interest into the rocky
formations, so level of water increases after monsoon.
So, this is during the summer, this is during the post month soon, so after monsoon. So, level of
water increases, so what is happening, the water table comes at this place. It is just enhances the
problem this level to this, say if it is 10 meter so it has just come to 7 meters. So, what is happen?
This is meter below ground level MBGL. It is 10 MBGL and this is 7 MBGL. So, after
monsoonal season, we have noticed that just the water table which remains open with the
atmosphere it fluctuates with the up and down of the atmospheric pressure.

So, what has happened is it is just risen up after the monsoon seasons in during the post monsoon
season the same water table has risen up which has grown deeper during the pre-monsoon or
summer season. The concept is that this water level generally fluctuates and this fluctuation
behaviour is very important in the case of your unconfined aquifer. So, this thing we have
noticed in the case of unconfined aquifer.
(Refer Slide Time: 22:07)

Now in the case of unconfined aquifer one important characteristic is that it has the storative
value greater than 0.01. So, now one special case of unconfined aquifer is termed as the perched
aquifer. This also we have we are noticing at some places on the earth surface that in the
unconfined aquifer, in the case of unconfined aquifer means in the case of unconfined aquifers
will exist when some confining beds will remain underlain inside the aquifer or just at the bottom
of the aquifer.
So, aquifer has become unconfined in nature, but in between or at certain specific place within
the unconfined aquifer all of sudden some impermeable beds come or impermeable rock layer
exist which will restrict the moment of water down. We can see here this is a confined aquifer,
this is unconfined because this is the confining beds just underlain at the bottom and this is just
the layer of the water in the unconfined water table you have seeing here.

But what we are noticing one small impermeable rock layers of aerial extent came here. And just
it separated the water, this water table from to this water table means what is happening here the
quantity of water found available in this type of aquifer is usually minor very small in amounts
and for very short period of time also because it is just separated from the main groundwater
source by relatively impermeable rock layers or small aerial extents.

So, above the main source of groundwater this is the ground water, this is unconfined layer, in
between if sometimes we are getting some of the impermeable rock layers, then it is forming
some another water table and those water table is known as the perched water table and this just
is the special case of unconfined aquifer not the confined aquifer.
(Refer Slide Time: 24:26)

Now confined aquifer, just see confined aquifers are those as I have discussed confined aquifers
are those body of water found accumulating in a permeable rock and have been closed by two
impermeable rock layers of bodies. So, I have discussed in the previous slide also, if suppose any
formation are there and if these formations are overlain as well as underlain by some
impermeable rock’s formations, rock of formations.

Then this type of groundwater which remains being enclosed within these in impermeable rock
layers; unknown as the confined aquifer. So, confined aquifers are aquifers which are just
overlain by some confining rock layer or rock body, generally made of clay or some form of
protection from surface contaminations. So, this is having lesser contamination compared to the
unconfined aquifer.

The geological barriers which have generally non-permeable and found exist between the aquifer
causes the water within it to be under pressure. This causes the water to remain under great
pressure and this is compared to more than the atmospheric pressure. So, in the case of a
confined aquifer the water remains in a greater pressure compared to the unconfined aquifer.
(Refer Slide Time: 26:02)

Now the presence of fractures of cracks in bed rocks because every water body is having some
bedrock. And if the rocks are having some sort of fractures of cracks then what is happening is
capable of bearing water in large openings within bedrocks dissolving some of the rock. So,
some of the rocks are having some large openings because of the dissolving nature and account
for high yields of well also, it gives the high yields of well also.
And therefore, the groundwater flow through aquifer is either vertically or horizontally at rates
often influenced by gravity as well as geological formations in these areas. So, these two decides
about the rate of the groundwater flow because very important is inside the earth surface the rate
of the groundwater flow is very important and it is been influenced by the gravity as well as the
geographical formation of the areas.

So, what we have seen that rate of groundwater flow is based on the hydraulic gradient and the
permeability of an aquifer. So, these two very important parameters, generally expressed by K,
the hydraulic conductivity is expressed by K Darcy’s equation. Darcy is one of the scientists who
has just given us an equation in the form of
V = K * i,
where V is the velocity of groundwater flow,
K is the hydraulic conductivity and
i is the hydraulic gradient.
So, this equation, Darcy’s equation is widely being used for the rate of groundwater moment. So,
this we will discuss in the later class also related to the Darcy’s law. Now, what is happening in
the case of confined aquifer the presence of fractures of cracks in bedrocks is capable of bearing
water in large openings within the bedrock. Dissolving some of the rock, here the generally the
water we are seeing in the case of confined aquifers.
(Refer Slide Time: 28:20)
Now if you will see the diagram just below a potentiometric surface generally, we are getting in
the case of confined aquifer, we are not getting in the case of unconfined aquifer. If described the
total energy potentiometric surface in nothing but it describes the total energy that water is under
within the confined aquifer. So, just if you will drill a well into the confined aquifer the water
will rise to the level of the water table.

So, if thus we will confine with the water is rising just to the water table. But if we drill a well
through both the unconfined as well as confined, this is unconfined this is confined. Then what
will happen? The water will rise above the top of the confined aquifer to the level of its
potentiometric surface well B, you can see here in the case of well B this is the potentiometric
surface up to here.

If you can drill the; confined and unconfined the water level will rise up to the potentiometric
surface, well B example. This is known as, this type of well is known as the artesian well. And
the water in a well drilled into the confined aquifer in this situation will rise above the
groundwater level and flow out, this will flow out here you can see then, it is not capped. So,
this is known as the artesian well.

So, this potentiometric surface plays very important in making the different types of artesian well
conditions and the generally confined conditions we are getting we are seeing, this is playing
very important role. So, the conclusion is that the; rocks which are the geological formation that
has been made in different time period is having the properties of porosity and permeability.
These are having the pores ability to store the water as well as to transmit the water.

And these rock formations if meeting with some type of impermeable rocks overlain or
underlain, then this decides the formation of the two important type of aquifers. The former
which is underlain only underlain by any confining beds is known as the unconfined aquifer. The
latter which is when the underlain and overlain by any confining beds then such type of known
as confined aquifer.

We are getting water table in the case of unconfined effort, whereas we are getting
potentiometric surface in the case of confined aquifer. In the case of unconfined aquifer with the
water remains with the atmospheric pressure whereas in the case of confined aquifer the water
remains with the hydrostatic pressure. So, with this background now we will we can conclude
that groundwater resource remain inside under certain aquifers may be unconfined aquifer or in
confined aquifers. Thank you very much to all.