Rocks that Form Saipan's Aquifers
Permeability and other characteristics of the rocks that form Saipan's aquifers affect the flow and storage of groundwater and its availability for human use.
Saipan’s Volcanic Rock and Limestone Aquifer
Most of Saipan’s aquifers can be placed into one of two broad categories:
- an underlying basement of low-permeability volcanic rock, or
- an overlying layer of high-permeability limestone.
The high-permeability limestone covers most of the surface of the island and forms the primary aquifer from which groundwater is withdrawn for human use. The underlying volcanic rock also contains groundwater, but the rock’s permeability is so low that it does not yield much groundwater for human use.
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