Aquifers - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)An aquifer consists of layers or units of sands, gravels and rocks that contain sufficient saturated and permeable geologic material to yield a useable, sustainable amount of potable groundwater. The supply of underground water originates from surface water infiltrating into the ground and accumulating in the geological deposits. Over the course of the earth's history, geologic deposits have formed and been buried by subsequent deposits. The creation of deposits capable of holding groundwater has been the result of complex and dynamic interactions of natural earth processes, including weathering and erosion, streamflow, glaciation and deglaciation, and sea level fluctuations.
