Granite is a resistant, impermeable rock. Bogs are also common due to standing water as the result of impermeable rock and high rainfall levels. Water flows over the surface of granite rather than through it. V-shaped river valleys area formed by the numerous surface streams.

Page 2. a) Permeable rocks can absorb water and impermeable rocks cannot absorb water. To test rock permeability place sandstone, granite, chalk and marble in separate beakers of water.

The permeability of the rock samples is likely to be – permeable – sandstone, chalk; impermeable – clay, slate, marble, granite. Some sedimentary rocks that were once permeable but have become well cemented (natural cement has filled the pore spaces between the grains ‘gluing’ the rock together) may now be impermeable.

IMPERMEABLE LAYER: A portion of an aquifer that contains rock material that does not allow water to penetrate; often forms the base of unconfined aquifers and the boundaries for confined aquifers.

The definition of impermeable is not able to be broken through, or not allowing fluids to pass through. An example of something impermeable is a zip-closure plastic bag. Impossible to permeate. An impermeable membrane; an impermeable border.

An impermeable layer makes up the bottom of an aquifer. The water table rises and falls with additions or subtractions to the groundwater system.

Metamorphic Rocks