IE GSI Quaternary Sediments Updated Areas 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.

第四纪沉积物（Quaternary sediments）是指过去260万年间沉积形成的松软沉积物质。在爱尔兰境内，此类沉积物多为冰碛物。

本数据集可为研究区域的古环境演化提供实证支撑。通过分析这些沉积物，我们能够厘清环境随时间的变化历程，并预判其未来发展趋势。

该沉积物数据集可辅助定位可供饮用的地下水资源。地下水指由雨水渗入地下并储存于地下的水体；含水层（aquifer）是指能够储存地下水的岩体或沉积物体。爱尔兰境内的含水层主要分为两类：基岩含水层（bedrock aquifers）与砂卵石含水层（sand and gravel aquifers）。

本数据集还可助力饮用水源保护工作。沉积物的物性特征会影响水体及污染物在地下的运移规律。通过将垃圾填埋场（landfills）等潜在污染设施选址远离地下水源地，可有效保障饮用水安全。此外，沉积物会改变地表水下渗过程，因此该数据集可用于编制洪水淹没风险图。

该数据集对大型基础设施项目规划亦具有重要实用价值，涵盖高速公路、风电场、海上能源设施、住宅开发及其他建筑工程。了解区域地质条件可避免建筑工程遭遇灾害或长期运维隐患，具体措施包括规避不良地基，或针对场地地质特征优化工程设计方案。

沉积物数据集可用于筛选适宜开采砂卵石矿点的区域，这类矿点可为建筑行业提供混凝土生产所需的砂石原料。

结合其他相关数据集，本沉积物数据集可辅助预测滑坡（landslides）等地质灾害的易发区域。