The triassic sherwood sandstone aquifer in northern Ireland: constraint of a groundwater flow model for resource management

The most important aquifer in Northern Ireland is the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone formation that lies under the urban area of Belfast and the areas to the east (Newtownards) and south (Lagan Valley) of the city. The management of this groundwater resource is important in providing a sustainable supply for both public and industrial users. A groundwater flow model that collated relevant meteorological, hydrological and hydrogeological information for the Lagan Valley and Newtownards areas was developed. This conceptual model was coupled with geochemical and isotopic data (using inverse modelling) to constrain the groundwater flow parameters. The results of ¹⁴C-dating suggest some of the groundwater in the aquifer may be up to 4000 years old, and that structural controls play a major role in both the flow rate and the spatial distribution of groundwater within the Sherwood Sandstone aquifer.