Best way to find an aquifer?

[Valorel]

I've found a super cool spot in my map with an island volcano and lots of good resources. Sadly, it has no surface freshwater, but somewhere in my 4x4 embark there was an square with an aquifier.
What's the best way to find it without DFHack before my dorfs die of thirst?

Thanks!

[graalGGTV]

You could just depend on alcohol until you find the aquifer or an underground cave. Since you won't be getting migrants past the 2nd wave, you probably won't need that much drink anyway (I'm assuming this, since you mentioned being an island volcano).

As for how to actually find it, you could try to determine the exact area of the 4x4 that has the aquifer by moving it around or making it smaller, so you know the general area before embarking, and then just keep digging down in that area and doing some mining in multiple directions every 3-5 floors to make sure you don't miss it

[Valorel]

Originally posted by graalGGTV:

You could just depend on alcohol until you find the aquifer or an underground cave. Since you won't be getting migrants past the 2nd wave, you probably won't need that much drink anyway (I'm assuming this, since you mentioned being an island volcano).

As for how to actually find it, you could try to determine the exact area of the 4x4 that has the aquifer by moving it around or making it smaller, so you know the general area before embarking, and then just keep digging down in that area and doing some mining in multiple directions every 3-5 floors to make sure you don't miss it

Yeah that sounds like a good idea, thanks!

[chronosphaenon]

It's never unworthy emphasizing that you will only actually need water if/when your dorfs ever get hurt and go into medical treatment. They'll happily drink booze all the rest of the time.

They will, though, use water to clean themselves, and even get positive thoughts from that. Idk if they get negative ones for not being clean.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by chronosphaenon:

It's never unworthy emphasizing that you will only actually need water if/when your dorfs ever get hurt and go into medical treatment. They'll happily drink booze all the rest of the time.

They will, though, use water to clean themselves, and even get positive thoughts from that. Idk if they get negative ones for not being clean.

Dorf babies need water, sadly enough. *At least, I know newborns do.

[moonracer]

You can also save scum.
Save, dig a number of stairwells straight down around the map, find water, remember the location and reload.

[EmotionallyBroken]

Because losing is fun, I find the best way to find an aquafier is to just dig normally while not actually looking for an aquafier
XD

[Tanaka Khan]

All I have to do is dig down at least 4 levels and BANG...I find them...EVERYWHERE!!!
OP can always go for the caverns and access the water there?

[Darzan]

Usually aquifer is bit below or above lowest surface level you map has. You can often see by landscape where it might be as it is usually not in mountain squares. Looks your global map, where your closest river is. Even when river is not on your embark, it still has wide area of aquifer around it. Otherwise look at lowest spot first.

In case when you do not want to save-scum or cheat with DFHack, you could dig test tunnel around map somewhere at levels -10 to +10 . More efficient might be to dig single stairway down like 20+ levels down every 40 squares ( map tile size ). On your map you could dig test tunnels down at 20:20, 20:60, 20:100, 20:140, 60:20, ..., 140:140.

[AlP]

Aquifers don't often exist in volcanic areas. You need sedimentary layers for them.