Groundwater prospects evaluation-based on hydrogeomorphological mapping: A case study in Kancheepuram district,Tamil Nadu

Water is the most important natural resource which forms the core of the ecological system. The advent of remote sensing has opened up new vistas in groundwater prospect evaluation, exploration and management. The role of hydrogeomorphological units in tile storage of groundwater from the Kancheepuram distict has been investigated using IRS P6 LISS-III data. The Kancheepuram district exhibits diverse hydrogeomorphological conditions where the groundwater regime is controlled mainly by topography and geology. The extent of various water prospectus zones in terms of percentage includes, maximum area, particularly the north-western, and central part which is characterized by good potential occupying about 43% of total area. The moderate potential is marked by only 35%, and is scattered along the northern and southern side of the study area, the remaining 12% is of poor prospectus, which is falling in the coastal region of the study area.     

Mapping of hydrogeomorphological features in varaha river basin using IRS data

Hydrogeomorphological mapping in Varaha River Basin (VRB) was carried out to develop relationship between groundwater condition and geomophology of the area. The VRB is located in the north coastal region of Andhra Pradesh is characterised by variability in precipitation, temperature, vegetation, infiltration and run-off. Realising the significance of remote sensing in natural resource management and development, IRS 1A data was used in the study. It is inferred that various hydrogeomorphological units identified in the study area, are the outcome of different geomorphic processes that have been operating in the area and reveal which close relationship between groundwater condition and geology and geomorphol-ogy of the area. Areas covered by buried channels have shallow aquifers of good quality wa-ter with excellent yield. Lineaments and fractures may prove to be potential zones for ground-water development.     

Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones of a Tropical River Basin (Kerala,India) Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

The present work accentuated the expediency of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) applications in groundwater studies, especially in the identification of groundwater potential zones in Ithikkara River Basin (IRB), Kerala, India. The information on geology, geomorphology, lineaments, slope and land use/land cover was gathered from Landsat ETM + data and Survey of India (SOI) toposheets of scale 1:50,000 in addition, GIS platform was used for the integration of various themes. The composite map generated was further classified according to the spatial variation of the groundwater potential. Four categories of groundwater potential zones namely poor, moderate, good and very good were identified and delineated. The hydrogeomorphological units like valley fills and alluvial plain and are potential zones for groundwater exploration and development and valley fills associated with lineaments is highly promising area for groundwater extraction. The spatial variation of the potential indicates that groundwater occurrence is controlled by geology, structures, slope and landforms.     

Identification of Artificial Recharge Sites for Noyyal River Basin Using GIS and Remote Sensing

The water is a nature’s valuable gift to all life forms. Water quality and quantity plays a major role for the growth and development of community. Both natural and human factors influence the quality and quantity of water source. Depending upon the quality and quantity of groundwater it can be used for various purposes, such as drinking, agricultural and industrial. Due to revolution in industries and various anthropogenic sources in the past decades, groundwater has been polluted and depleted. Remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) has become one of the leading tools in the field of hydrogeological science, which helps in assessing, monitoring and conserving groundwater resources. GIS technology provides suitable alternatives for efficient management of large and complex databases. In recent years, the increasing use of satellite remote sensing data has made it easier to define the spatial distribution of different groundwater prospect classes on the basis of geomorphology and other associated parameters. Analysis of remotely sensed data along with Survey of India(SOI) topographical sheets and collateral information with necessary field checks helps in generating the base line information for artificial recharge. The artificial recharge sites were identified by integrating thematic maps of geology, geomorphology, slope, drainage density and lineament density of the study area. The study focuses on the development of remote sensing and GIS based analysis and methodology for identifying artificial recharge studies in Noyyal river basin.     

groundwater prospects of shahbad tehsil, baran district, eastern rajasthan: a remote sensing approach

The relevance of satellite remote sensing in groundwater exploration stems from the utility of satellite images in identifying and delineating various featares that may serve as direct or indirect indicators of the presence of groundwater. This paper presents the results of hydrogeomorphological mapping using IRS-IB LISS II data and evaluation of groundwater prospects of each. hydrageomorphologic unit on the basis of lithotogy, struclure, landfrom and available aquifer data in the Shahbad tehsil, Baran district, Eastern Rajasthan, The study has shown that in the western parts of the area the Vindhyan sandstones (Lower Bhander) in which groundwater occurs under unconfined to confined conditions along bedding planes and fracture zones have vast potential for groundwater development thtough deep bore-wells or dng-cum-barewells, while in the eastern parts where shales dominale, large diameter dug wells are suitable to tap the limited groundwater resources. Infiltration (or recharge) tube wells have been proposed to augment the sandstone aquifers.     

Groundwater Prospect Zoning Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System: A Case Study in Dala-Renukoot Area, Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh

In the present study, ground water prospect zones in Dala-Renukoot area, in Sonebhadra district. Uttar Pradesh, India have been delineated, through integration of various thematic maps using ARC/INFO GIS. Thematic maps in respect of geology, geomorphology. slope, drainage, land-use/land cover, lineament and lineament intersection frequency were prepared on 1:50,000 scale using remote sensing and conventional methods. These maps were scanned and registered with reference to a basemap and are input as separate layers using ARC/INFO GIS. Each theme was assigned a weightage depending on its influence on the movement and storage of groundwater and each unit in every theme map is assigned a knowledge based ranking from 1 to 5 depending on its significance to groundwater occurrence. All the themes are overlaid, two at a time and the resultant composite coverage is classified into five groundwater prospect categories. This output map is correlated with the groundwater data collected in the field.     

Delineation of groundwater potential zone in hard rock terrain of India using remote sensing,geographical information system (GIS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) techniques

The present study has been undertaken to delineate the groundwater potential zones in the hard rock terrain of Palamu district, Jharkhand using the advanced applications of remote sensing, geographical information systems and analytic hierarchy process techniques. The integration and analyses of various thematic databases viz., geomorphology, lithology, soil, slope, lineament density, weathered zone thickness, drainage density and rainfall proved useful in the delineation of GWP zones. The study indicates that only 136?km² of the study area exhibit excellent groundwater potential, 248?km² has very good groundwater potential, whereas 36.89 and 38.23% are under poor and very poor groundwater potential zones, respectively. Hence, only a total of 11.6% of the area (490?km²) is classified as high to excellent groundwater potential. The final groundwater prospect map obtained was classified as excellent potential, very good potential, good potential, moderate potential, poor potential and very poor potential zone.     

Assessment of groundwater potential zones using GIS technique

A case study was conducted to find out the groundwater potential zones in Kattakulathur block, Tamil Nadu, India with an aerial extent of 360.60 km². The thematic maps such as geology, geomorphology, soil hydrological group, land use / land cover and drainage map were prepared for the study area. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) has been generated from the 10 m interval contour lines (which is derived from SOI, Toposheet 1:25000 scale) and obtained the slope (%) of the study area. The groundwater potential zones were obtained by overlaying all the thematic maps in terms of weighted overlay methods using the spatial analysis tool in ArcGIS 9.2. During weighted overlay analysis, the ranking has been given for each individual parameter of each thematic map and weights were assigned according to the influence such as soil −25%, geomorphology − 25%, land use/land cover −25%, slope − 15%, lineament − 5% and drainage / streams − 5% and find out the potential zones in terms of good, moderate and poor zones with the area of 49.70 km², 261.61 km² and 46.04 km² respectively. The potential zone wise study area was overlaid with village boundary map and the village wise groundwater potential zones with three categories such as good, moderate and poor zones were obtained. This GIS based output result was validated by conducting field survey by randomly selecting wells in different villages using GPS instruments. The coordinates of each well location were obtained by GPS and plotted in the GIS platform and it was clearly shown that the well coordinates were exactly seated with the classified zones.     

Integration of thematic maps through GIS for identification of groundwater potential zones

The remote sensing data combined with Geographical Information System (GIS) technique has been proved to be very efficient in identification of groundwater potential of any area. In the present paper, IRS 1 A, LISS II data has been used to identify the groundwater potential zones by integrating various thematic maps generated on 1:50,000 scale. These maps are integrated after assigning weight factors to the identified features in each thematic map depending upon their infiltration capacities and the groundwater potential zones in Bhamini mandai (developmental block) of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh are demarcated. The area of investigation has been classified into seven groundwater potential zones. The present results show that integration of all attributes provides more accurate results in groundwater potential zones identification.     

Combined use of groundwater modeling and potential zone analysis for management of groundwater

A methodology for groundwater evaluation has been developed by the combined use of numerical model and spatial modeling using GIS. The developed methodology has been applied on the sub-basin of the Banganga River, India. Initially, the groundwater potential zones have been delineated by spatial modeling. Different thematic maps of the basin like geology, geomorphology, soil, drainage, slope factor and landuse/landcover have been used to identify the groundwater potential zones. Further, the groundwater flow model for the study area has been developed in the MODFLOW. The groundwater flow vector map has been developed and superimposed on the potential zone map to validate the results of spatial modeling. Finally, the different scenarios have been conceptualized by varying the discharge of the wells and purposing the location for new rainwater harvesting structures. Results reveal that increasing the discharge of the wells in the potential zones put less stress on the aquifer. The suggested locations of rainwater harvesting structures also help to reduce the overall decline of groundwater in the area. The hydrological and spatial modeling presented in this study is highly useful for the evaluation of groundwater resources and for deciding the location of rainwater harvesting structures in semi-arid regions.     

A Geographic Information System approach to evaluation of groundwater potentiality of Shamri micro-watershed in the Shimla Taluk, Himachal Pradesh

GIS. a potential tool for facilitating the generation and use of thematic information, has been applied to groundwater potentiality of the Shamri micro-watershed in Shimla Taluk. The role of various parameters, namely, drainage. lineament. lithology . slope and landuse have been emphasised for delineation of groundwater potential iones. IRS-I C IAN and LISS Ill FCC merged satellite images on 1:25000 scale and Topographic map no. 53L/4 SI together with field traverses have been used as the data source. A multi-criteria evaluation following probability weighted approach has been applied for overlay analysis that allows a linear combination of weights of each thematic map with the individual capability value. 1 he resultant map indicates a high groundwater potentiality in the flood plains, river terraces and river channels in the vicinity of the Shamri nala. Other sites of high potentiality include places showing break in slopes and criss-crossing of lineaments.     

Regional Groundwater Assessment of Krishna River Basin Using Integrated GIS Approach

The groundwater occurrence and movement within the flow systems are governed by many natural factors like topography, geology, geomorphology, lineament structures, soil, drainage network and land use land cover (LULC). Due to complex natural geological/hydro-geological regime a systematic planning is needed for groundwater exploitation. It is even more important to characterize the aquifer system and delineate groundwater potential zones in different geological terrain. The study employed integration of weighted index overlay analysis (WIOA) and geographical information system (GIS) techniques to assess the groundwater potential zones in Krishna river basin, India and the validation of the result with existing groundwater levels. Different thematic layers such as geology, geomorphology, soil, slope, LULC, drainage density, lineament density and annual rainfall distribution were integrated with WIOA using spatial analyst tools in Arc-GIS 10.1. These thematic layers were prepared using Geological survey of India maps, European Digital Archive of Soil Maps, Bhuvan (Indian-Geo platform of ISRO, NRSC) and 30 m global land cover data. Drainage, watershed delineation and slope were prepared from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model of 30 m resolution data. WIOA is being carried out for deriving the normalized score for the suitability classification. Weight factor is assigned for every thematic layer and their individual feature classes considering their significant importance in groundwater occurrence. The final map of the study area is categorized into five classes very good, good, moderate, poor and very poor groundwater potential zones. The result describes the groundwater potential zones at regional scale which are in good agreement with observed ground water condition at field level. Thus, the results derived can be very much useful in planning and management of groundwater resources in a regional scale.     

Influence of rock types and structures in the development of drainage network in hard rock area

Remote sensing techniques has proved to be an extremely useful tool in morphometric analysis and groundwater studies. Remote sensing techniques with an emphasis on lineament identifications can play a great role in groundwater prospecting in semi-arid hard rock areas of Purulia district. In the present study, morphometric analysis using remote sensing technique has been carried out in parts of Baghmundi block, Purulia district, West Bengal. The parameters worked out include Bifurcation ratio (R_b), Stream length (L_u), Form factor (R_c), Circulatory ratio (R_c), and Drainage density (D). The morphometric analysis suggests that fractured, resistant, permeable rocks cover the area, the drainage network not so affected by tectonic disturbances. Using satellite imageries of two dates of IRS, different hydrogeomorphological units have been delineated. Among different hydrogeomorphic units (i) very shallow weathered pediment and (ii) Structural hills/ residual hills/inselbergs have very poor ground water prospects, while moderately weathered pediplains and valley fills are good prospective zones for groundwater exploration.     

Delineation of potential sites for water harvesting structures using remote sensing and GIS

Availability of groundwater varies spatially and temporally depending upon the terrain. The scarcity of water affects the environmental and developmental activities of an area. Construction of small water harvesting structures across streams/watersheds is gaining momentum in recent years. In the present study, potential sites for construction of rainwater harvesting structures in the Bakhar watershed of Mirzapur District, Uttar Pradesh, India have been identified by using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Various thematic maps such as Landuse/Landcover, geomorphology and lineaments, etc. were prepared using remote sensing. These layers along with geology and drainage were integrated using GIS techniques to derive suitable water harvesting sites. Each theme was assigned a weightage depending on its influence on ground water recharge (for example weightages 20,18,15,25,25 and 0 were assigned to geomorphology, landuse, geology, lineament, drainage and road and villages respectively). Each class or unit in the map was assigned a knowledge based ranking of one to four depending on its significance in storage and transmittance of groundwater, and these values were multiplied with layer weightage to form score. The average score for excellent region is greater than 200, for good 121 to 200, for moderate 81 to 121 and the other polygon having value less than 80 (excluding zero) were assigned to poor category. The final map showing different categories of suitability sites for water harvesting structures such as Check dams, Contour bunding, Recharge pits, Wells and Contour trenching have been suggested.     

Grey analytic hierarchy process applied to effectiveness evaluation for groundwater potential zone delineation

An attempt has been made to identify plausible groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) based on Grey Analytic Hierarchy Process Method (Grey-AHP) using integrated remote sensing and geographic information system. Grey-AHP combines the advantages of classical analytic hierarchy process and grey clustering method for accurate estimation of weight coefficients. The method also examines the effectiveness of GWPZ identification process. The proposed methodology has been applied to the Hirakud canal command area, Odisha (India). Feature layers [e.g. soil type, geology] are utilized for groundwater potential index (GWPI) calculation. The resulting GWPI map has been classified into three GWPZ namely: good, moderate and poor. Effectiveness based on grey clustering method is found to be in between ‘better’ and ‘common’ classes. Value of coefficient of determination (R² = 0.865) supports the obtained effectiveness evaluation result. This analysis demonstrates the potential applicability of the methodology for a general aquifer system.     

A method for groundwater prospect zonation in data poor areas using remote sensing and GIS: a case study in Kalikavu Panchayath of Malappuram district,Kerala, India

Abstract

The present study was an attempt to delineate potential groundwater zones in Kalikavu Panchayat of Malappuram district, Kerala, India. The geo-spatial database on geomorphology, landuse, geology, slope and drainage network was generated in a geographic information system (GIS) environment from satellite data, Survey of India topographic sheets and field observations. To understand the movement and occurrence of groundwater, the geology, geomorphology, structural set-up and recharging conditions have to be well understood. In the present study, the potential recharge areas are delineated in terms of geology, geomorphology, land use, slope, drainage pattern, etc. Various thematic data generated were integrated using a heuristic method in the GIS domain to generate maps showing potential groundwater zones. The composite output map scores were reclassified into different zones using a decision rule. The final output map shows different zones of groundwater prospect, viz., very good (15.57% of the area), good (43.74%), moderate (28.38%) and poor (12.31%). Geomorphic units such as valley plains, valley fills and alluvial terraces were identified as good to excellent prospect zones, while the gently sloping lateritic uplands were identified as good to moderate zones. Steeply sloping hilly terrains underlain by hard rocks were identified as poor groundwater prospect zones.     

Application of lineament density and hydrogeomorphology to delineate groundwater potential zones of Baghmundi block in Purulia District, West Bengal

Groundwater being a valuable resource in today’s world needs proper evaluation and management for overall development within the region for its judicious use. The Baghmundi Block of Purulia district, West Bengal is within the hard rock terrain of Ayodhya hills and Matha Protected forest. The groundwater in this region is confined within the fracture zones and weathered residuum. Hydrogeomorphologically, the entire area is classified into following categories such as - i) Very shallow weathered pediment, ii) Moderately weathered pediment, iii) Valley fills, iv) Erosional gullies, v) Lateritic Upland and vi) Accumulation gullies. The hydrogeomorphic map of the area prepared by Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of West Bengal has been digitized for the present study. The lineament map has been prepared from the satellite imagery. The lineament map has also been digitized for the present study. From this the lineament density contour map has been prepared. An integrated remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) based methodology has been used for the delineating Groundwater potential zones in the study area. Here the Geomorphology and Lineament density maps are overlaid following the Weighted Index Overlay Method, which delineates groundwater potential zones.     

Identification of groundwater prospective zones using irs-id liss iii and pump test methods

The role of hydrogeomorphological units and lineaments in the storage of groundwater from the Muvattupuzha river basin has been investigated using IRS ID LISS III data. Other than the usual water bodies such as river course, reservoirs and ponds, the major hydrogeomorphological units identified in this basin in the descending order of their groundwater potential are: valley fills, moderately dissected plateau, pediments, residual mounts, residual mount complex, linear ridges, residual hills and structural hills. Majority of the lineaments trends in NW-SE and WNW-ESE directions. Even though the eastern part of the basin is characterised by moderate to high lineament density, the above area is found to be poor to moderate groundwater prospect zone because of high gradient and structural hills. The pump test analyses of dug wells from different hydrogeomorphic units also confirm that valley fills are the most promising unit for groundwater prospecting than the rest.     

Evaluation of groundwater potential zones using Remote Sensing data in upper Vaigai river basin,Tamil Nadu,India

The area of upper Vaigai river basin covering parts of Madurai and Theni Districts, in Tamil Nadu, faces acute water scarcity and chronically drought prone. The groundwater resources in the area have not been fully exploited. The present investigation has been made to evaluate the potential zones for groundwater targeting using IRS - ID LISS III geocoded data on 1:50,000 scale. The geology, geomorphology, lineament tectonic maps are generated and integrated to evaluate the hydrogeomorphological characteristics of the upper Vaigai river basin and demarcate the groundwater potential zones. A number of geomorphic units have been observed. Out this the more groundwater prospective units are buried pediment medium, buried pediment deep, flood plain, bajada and lineament and intersection of lineaments. Non potential areas like pediment, pediment inselberg, shallow pediment and pediplain were identified.     

Integrated remote sensing and GIS study for hydrogeomorphological mapping and delineation of groundwater potential zones in Khallikote block,Ganjam district,Orissa

The present study attempts to delineate different groundwater potential units using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in Khallikote block of Ganjam disrict, Orissa. Thematic maps of geology, geomorphology, land use and land cover, drainage density, lineament density, slope and DEM (digital elevation model) were prepared using the Landsat Thematic Mapper data in 3 spectral bands, band 7 (mid-infrared light), band 4 (near-infrared light), Band 2 (visible green light). Relationship of each layer to the groundwater regime has been evaluated through detailed analysis of the individual hydrological parameters. The SMCE (Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation) module in ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System) supports the decision-making process for evaluating the ground water potential zones in the area. The study shows that more than 70% of the block is covered by medium to excellent category having good ground water potential.