{"id":2526,"date":"2024-01-16T15:38:44","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T15:38:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/shale-gas\/aquifers-and-shales\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T09:49:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:49:02","slug":"aquifers-and-shales","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/","title":{"rendered":"Aquifers and shales"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t\t<section class=\"hero-section hero-section-with-social\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Aquifers and shales<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"social-wrap social-wrap-inline-them\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sea-background-f\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share this article<\/span><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/\"><span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span class=\"hidden\">Facebook<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Aquifers%20and%20shales&#038;url=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/\"><span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span class=\"hidden\">Twitter<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   onclick=\"javascript:void( (function() {var e=document.createElement('script' );e.setAttribute('type','text\/javascript' );e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8' );e.setAttribute('src','\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());\"  href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"icon-pinterest\"><span class=\"hidden\">Pinterest<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/wa.me?text=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/\"><span class=\"icon-whatsapp\"><span class=\"hidden\">WhatsApp<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   href=\"mailto:?subject=Aquifers%20and%20shales&#038;body=Understanding%20the%20spatial%20relationships%20between%20potential%20shale%20gas%20source%20rocks%20and%20overlying%20aquifers.%20(https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/)\"><span class=\"icon-mail\"><span class=\"hidden\">Email<\/span><\/span><\/a><a href=\"#\" data-copy=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/\" class=\"copy-url-on-click\"><span class=\"icon-link\"><span class=\"hidden\">Copy Link<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-bgs-blocks-content-container content-section\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12\">\n<p>If shale gas resources were to be developed in the UK, the implications for groundwater would need to be considered as part of any risk assessment. This assessment can help us to understand and quantify the spatial relationships between the potential shale gas source rocks (including both shales and some clay units) and overlying aquifers.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure  class=\"img-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/P579296.jpg\" data-toggle=\"lightbox\" data-footer=\"&lt;p&gt;View of cliffs east of Sidmouth, south Devon, showing the gradational upward passage by interdigitation from the Triassic &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/webapps.bgs.ac.uk\/lexicon\/lexicon.cfm?pub=ssg&quot;&gt;Sherwood Sandstone Group&lt;\/a&gt; (a major aquifer across the UK) in the lower half of the cliff to the overlying Triassic &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/webapps.bgs.ac.uk\/lexicon\/lexicon.cfm?pub=MMG&quot;&gt;Mercia Mudstone Group&lt;\/a&gt;. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-gallery=\"gallery_83683\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/P579296.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur\" alt=\"P579296\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/P579296.jpg\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/themes\/bgs\/img\/info-caption.svg\" alt=\"Information icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-text\"><p>View of cliffs east of Sidmouth, south Devon, showing the gradational upward passage by interdigitation from the Triassic <a href=\"https:\/\/webapps.bgs.ac.uk\/lexicon\/lexicon.cfm?pub=ssg\">Sherwood Sandstone Group<\/a> (a major aquifer across the UK) in the lower half of the cliff to the overlying Triassic <a href=\"https:\/\/webapps.bgs.ac.uk\/lexicon\/lexicon.cfm?pub=MMG\">Mercia Mudstone Group<\/a>. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"expand-box expand-box-top\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/P579296.jpg\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/themes\/bgs\/img\/expand.svg\" alt=\"Expand icon\"><\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>BGS aims to provide an overview, at the national scale, of the spatial relationships between principal aquifers and some of the major shale and clay units in England and Wales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aquifer, shale and clay maps<\/h2>\n\n\n<div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Aquifer occurrence maps<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There are eleven principal aquifers in England and Wales and the distribution of each of these at the surface and below ground is shown in a series of\u00a0aquifer maps. The maps include information on the depth to the base of the geological units that form each of the principal aquifers, as well as interpretive information about the principal aquifers.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/aquifer-occurrence-maps\/\">Go to aquifer occurrence maps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Shale and clay occurrence maps<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>BGS has produced maps of the six major shale or clay units in England and Wales. The distribution of each of these is shown on separate\u00a0shale maps\u00a0and include information on the depth to the top of the shale or clay unit. There is also associated interpretive information about each of the units.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/shale-and-clay-occurrence-maps\/\">Go to shale and clay occurrence maps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Aquifer\/shale separation maps<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This series of 25\u00a0aquifer\/shale separation maps\u00a0show where the principal aquifers overlie a shale or clay unit. Each map shows a relative estimate of the vertical separation between the base of a given aquifer and the top surface of a given shale or clay unit below that aquifer. Basic interpretive information about the separation maps is also available.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/aquifer-shale-separation-maps\/\">Go to aquifer\/shale separation maps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">National overview maps<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There are two\u00a0national overview maps. One shows the extent or area over England and Wales where rock units that are designated as principal aquifers by the Environment Agency are present at the surface and below ground. The second map shows the extent of the six major (potentially gas-bearing) shale units present at the surface and below ground.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/quality\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/national-overview-maps\/\">Go to national overview maps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/data\/\">data used to prepare the maps<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information describing the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/aquifers-and-shales\/methods\/\">methods used to produce the maps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in the UK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shale gas extraction is not presently allowed to proceed in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In January 2015, the Scottish Government put a moratorium on unconventional oil and gas development in Scotland in place, following the publication of a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/binaries\/content\/documents\/govscot\/publications\/advice-and-guidance\/2014\/07\/expert-scientific-panel-report-unconventional-oil-gas\/documents\/00456579-pdf\/00456579-pdf\/govscot%3Adocument\/00456579.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">independent expert scientific panel report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In October 2018, licensing powers in Wales were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gov.wales\/licensing-powers-fracking-transferred-wales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transferred to the Welsh Assembly<\/a>, which took the decision not to support applications for hydraulic fracturing in Wales or fracking consents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In November 2019, the UK Government announced a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in shale in England. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"cta-section  sea-background-e \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row md-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Need more information?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"btn-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/contact-the-person\/?employee=smedley-pauline\"  class=\"button primary-background   \">Contact Pauline Smedley<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the spatial relationships between potential shale gas source rocks and overlying aquifers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5661,"parent":62,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2526","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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