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Having around 182 400 sq km, the Carpathians are shared by Czech Republic (3.73%), Serbia (4.61%), Poland (10.36%), Ukraine (14.28%), Slovakia (21.15%) and Romania (40.45%).The formations depicted in the Hydrogeological Map of Europe, were classified into six classes on the basis of dominant productivity (l/s/m).
1. The first class of "porous, having highly productive aquifers" represents some 44% in Slovakia (along the main floodplains). Far less is Romania, namely 27.85 % (intra-mountainous basins).
2. The second class of "porous, less frequently fissured - porous rocks, having moderately productive aquifers" holds the first two places in Ukraine (26.38%) and Romania (38.64 %). In Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine, the same aquifers are hosted in: i) the volcano-sedimentary formation around the Neogene-Quaternary andesitic belt, and ii) along the main floodplains.
3. The class of "fissured rocks, including karstified rocks, having highly productive aquifers" has a large development in Slovakia (41.71%), Serbia (28.43%) and Romania (25.11%). In Slovakia, the karstified Triassic limestone are extended in the Metalliferous Mountains and on northern flank of the Little Matra, respectively. 4. The class of "fissured rocks, including karstified rocks, having moderately productive aquifers" are hosted by the flysch formations largely developed in Romania (36.08 %), Ukraine (29.43 %) and Poland (19.15 %).
Some of the main springs are bottled as medicinal waters or turned to account into carbonate-sparkling waters for spa cures (mofette aureole of the Neogene-Quaternary Volcanic Belt).
5. The class of "locally aquiferous, porous or fissured rocks", representing 36.67 % in Slovakia, and 19.49 % in the Czech Republic, corresponds mainly to areas with pyroclastic rocks (Sarmatian-Lower Pannonian) in Banska ?tiavnica, and to calcareous siltstones, sands, sandstones and conglomerates (Lower-Middle Miocene) in the Buda Basin. In the Czech Republic, the "local aquifers" formations extend in the Biele Karpaty Mountains and in the Javornicky Mountains.
On the opposite slope of the Carpathians, the Foredeep develops in its northernmost and easternmost parts. Having marls, clays and salt rocks as characteristic rocks, the prevailing feature of the Carpathian Foredeep is the low degree of permeability. However, in Poland, Ukraine and Romania, the highest mineralized aquifers develop locally around the salt massifs.
6. The "practically non-aquiferous rocks", represented by crystalline and magmatic rocks, are developed over 30.57 % of the Carpathian surface . Except for small areas, where dolostones and crystalline limestones developed (fissured rocks, moderately productive aquifers), the Crystalline Formations are practically non-aquiferous rocks. At the level of the whole chain, they have a large development in the Eastern and Southern Carpathians. The first position is occupied by Romania, with around 68.73 % referred to the entire surface of this class.
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