IE GSI Quaternary Sediments 50k Ireland (ROI) ITM View

Quaternary sediments are the soft material that has been deposited over the last 2.6 million years. In Ireland, much of this is glacial sediment.

The data provides evidence about our past. The sediments help us to understand how our environment has changed over time and how it may change in the future..

This sediment data helps us locate groundwater sources which can be used to supply drinking water. Groundwater is the water that soaks into the ground from rain and can be stored beneath the ground. An aquifer is a body of rock and/or sediment that holds groundwater. There are two main types of aquifer in Ireland – bedrock aquifers, and sand and gravel aquifers.

The data can also help to protect drinking water. Sediment properties impact how water and/or pollutants move below the surface. Drinking water can be protected by locating potential polluting operations, such as landfills, away from groundwater. Similarly, sediments can change how water drains into the ground and hence, the data is useful for creating flooding maps.

The data is also helpful when planning large scale infrastructure projects such as motorways, wind farms, offshore energy devices, housing projects and other construction. Understanding the geology of an area will help prevent any disasters or long-term problems with a structure. This can be done by avoiding bad ground or engineering a project to suit the type of ground it is to be built on.

Sediment data is used to find sites suitable for the extraction of sand and gravel deposits needed by the construction industry for things like concrete.

Sediment data, along other data, helps us predict where geological hazards, such as landslides, may occur.