- v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
- Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
v0.31:Aquifer
| This article is about an older version of DF. |
An aquifer is a subterranean layer of Template:L-bearing rock or Template:L. Attempts to mine through them will result in the mined-out squares immediately filling with Template:L, effectively halting excavation at or below their level. This, in conjunction with the fact that they are often located in areas rich in Template:L, and Template:L, makes it difficult to find great quantities of Template:L in areas with aquifers, making for more challenging gameplay.
Aquifers can't be drained - they are infinite. Template:L aquifer stone stops producing water. Aquifers located in Template:L areas will produce salty water. Aquifers do not only produce water - if the water is pressurized, an aquifer tile may instead absorb it. Just like with water production, this ability will not be disabled no matter how much water it absorbs.
Where they are found
Aquifers are found in soil layers and some porous rock layers. They often span several rock layers. They are recognizable at the embark screen by the blue ≈ symbols to the right of that layer.
Layers which CAN contain aquifers:
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Template:L
- Puddingstone
Layers which CAN'T contain aquifers
Dealing with aquifers
The ore method
On maps where the aquifer is not held in a layer of soil, but instead is held in a Template:L such as sandstone, it may be possible to tunnel down through deposits of ore such as magnetite. For this to work you have to find a spot where there is coincidentally an ore deposit on each Z-level you need to dig through. This is only possible through tiresome trial and error, or through the use of a utility like reveal.exe.
The magma/obsidian method
If you have access to a supply of magma, you can create your own obsidian caissons. By channeling into the aquifer layer and then filling these channels with magma, it is possible to create a wall of obsidian between your working area and the Template:L-bearing rock or Template:L. However, changes to world generation with the last version have made this method more difficult than it once was, as it is now harder to find magma vents that extend above the aquifer level.
The cave-in method
If there are enough layers above the aquifer, then letting non aquifer rock fall into the aquifer layer gives an area of dig-able rock. This requires at least 2 natural dry layers. If multiple aquifer layers are to be breached, things get more complicated. First Template:L out the area of aquifer that will be replaced. Then dig out all connecting floors and walls to the block that will fall (build a support to hold it until you are ready for collision). A Template:L may be useful to assign unnecessary dwarves to a safe area. When everyone is clear, de-construct the support with a lever. (If you forgot to bring stone, then you may instead build a constructed floor to support it, designate it to be destroyed, and have a Template:L standing ready in case the unlucky one survives.)
After the collapse, do not dig out the outer edge of the fallen rock.
This does not work with Template:L walls since they deconstruct on cave-in.
If you build many rings inside one another in your top drop layer, you can breach multi-level aquifers with as little as 2 natural layers of dry soil above it. Drop the rings from the outside to the inside using constructed arms to hold the center rings in place. Once a ring drops into the water below it, pump out the water in the center and dig down another layer. When that is complete, drop the next ring and continue the process until you are through. Since you start dropping rings from the outside it is necessary to know how many levels deep the aquifer is before you begin.
Note:There is a bug that may prevent this method from working, collapsed layers may turn into the aquifer layer type that the layer lands on.
The freezing method
If you are playing in a freezing or very cold landscape, where it snows in winter and instantly freezes water on the map, you can dig out a 3x3 hole in the ground using Template:Ls, and make it deeper and deeper until you reach the aquifer level. Once you reach the damp rock, tunnel into it with an up/down staircase - the incoming water will freeze after a few moments. The central square of the 3x3 hole should be tunnelable ice, so you can get to the rock beneath. If there are two aquifer levels, for example, you can just make a larger initial hole, and make a smaller one for the level after.
If your fortress is in a zone that gets warm, build walls around the inside of the hole to stop the water coming in once the ice melts.
Note: There is a bug that may prevent this from working, sometimes ice walls don't produce an ice floor tile above them, instead leaving it as "open space" which prevents the player from digging downwards. To correct that, set the tile 1 z-level ABOVE your missing ice floor tile as a Template:L, and FILL IT. The first Template:L of water that goes on it will create that missing ice floor tile the instant the water is dumped on it, and you will receive a cancellation message that the pond has gone away. Dezone the pond Template:L, and get back to work breaching that ice. Keep in mind that you will need an unfrozen water source to use to fill your bucket, so have a working Template:L or underground pond ready beforehand for this to work.
The pump method
The pumping method uses multiple Template:L to keep an area dry long enough to smooth or Template:L off the edges, stopping the flow of water. It requires no special environment or resources, other than wood and dwarves (and patience). Most commonly, a moderately sized section of the aquifer layer is channeled out and several screw pumps are built facing it. Directly behind each of the screw pumps a few tiles are channeled out to receive and dispose of the pumped water. When the pumps are activated, they should pump water faster than the aquifer can produce it, allowing masons to smooth or build walls around your future staircase. You will get job cancellations during this process, as stray 2/7's of water interrupt the building process. Just unsuspend construction when this happens, as long a dwarf manages to touch the wall before canceling, it will move incrementally toward completion and eventually finish. Depending on the availability of screw pumps and dwarves, you may need to wall off one corner or side at a time, then move the pumps and repeat. When drilling through more than one aquifer layer, be sure to leave yourself enough room to build additional layers of pumps and water disposal channels on lower levels.
Things to consider:
- Flowing water will cause parents to drop their infants, leading to job cancellations and occasionally
hilaritytragedy. - Mechanical Template:L may come in handy, but dwarf power works just fine and is much more portable.
- Channels can sometimes be used in place of walls, causing water produced by by the aquifer on one level to immediately fall and be consumed by the aquifer on the level below.
- This method may take a while.
- Aquifers do not create water in diagonal tiles, but do create water in hollow tiles directly below them. Therefore, you will want to dig two z-levels below the lowest aquifer layer before continuing with your fortress.
The modding method
By editing the the raws and removing the [AQUIFER] tag from all of the appropriate entries in inorganic_stone_layer.txt and inorganic_stone_soil.txt it is possible to remove all aquifers from the world. Make sure you do this before creating a new world to play on. Some might regard this method as cheating, however, so use it at your own risk.
Worlds | |
|---|---|