Integrating remote sensing and GIS for identification of groundwater prospective zones in the Narava basin, Visakhapatnam region, Andhra Pradesh

This paper mainly deals with the integrated approach of remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) to delineate groundwater prospective zones in Narava basin, Visakhapatnam region. The various thematic maps generated for delineating groundwater potential zones are geomorphology, geology, lineament density, drainage density, slope and land use/land cover (LULC). Weighted index overlay (WIO) technique is used to investigate a number of choice possibilities and evaluate suitability according to the associated weight of each unit. The integrated map of the area shows different zones of groundwater prospects, viz. very good (18.9% of the area), good (26.4% of the area), moderate (17.1% of the area) and poor (37.6% of the area). The categorization of groundwater potential was in good agreement with the available water column in the basin area.     

Remote Sensing and GIS Based Groundwater Potential Zone Mapping in Ariyalur District,Tamil Nadu

The groundwater is the most precious resources around the world and is shrinking day by day. In connection, there is a need for demarcation of potential ground-water zone. The geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques have become important tools to locate ground-water potential zones. This research has been carried out to identify groundwater potential zone in Ariyalur of south India with help of GIS and remote sensing techniques. To identify the groundwater potential zone used by different thematic layers of geology, geomorphology, drainage, drainage density, lineaments, lineaments density, soil, rainfall, and slope with inverse distance weightage (IDW) methods. From the overall result the potential zone of groundwater in the study area classified into five classes named as very good (13.34 %), good (51.52 %), moderate (31.48 %), poor (2.82 %) and very poor (0.82 %). This study suggested that, very good potential zone of groundwater occur in patches in northern and central parts of Jayamkondam and Palur regions in Ariyalur district. The result exhibited that inverse distance weightage method offers an effective tool for interpreting groundwater potential zones for suitable development and management of groundwater resources in different hydro-geological environments.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001137

Integration of remote sensing data and the geographical information system(GIS) for the exploration of groundwater resources has become a breakthrough in the field of groundwater research, which assists in assessing,monitoring,and conserving groundwater resources.In the present paper, various groundwater potential zones for the assessment of groundwater availability in Theni district have been delineated using remote sensing and GIS techniques.Survey of India toposheets and IRS-1C satellite imageries are used to prepare various thematic layers viz.lithology,slope,land-use,lineament, drainage,soil,and rainfall were transformed to raster data using feature to raster converter tool in ArcGIS.The raster maps of these factors are allocated a fixed score and weight computed from multi influencing factor(MIF) technique.Moreover,each weighted thematic layer is statistically computed to get the groundwater potential zones.The groundwater potential zones thus obtained were divided into four categories,viz.,very poor,poor,good,and very good zones.The result depicts the groundwater potential zones in the study area and found to be helpful in better planning and management of groundwater resources.     

Mapping of groundwater prospective zones integrating remote sensing,geographic information systems and geophysical techniques in El-Qaà Plain area,Egypt

The geospatial mapping of groundwater prospective zones is essential to support the needs of local inhabitants and agricultural activities in arid regions such as El-Qaà area, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. The study aims to locate new wells that can serve to cope with water scarcity. The integration of remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and geophysical techniques is a breakthrough for groundwater prospecting. Based on these techniques, several factors contributing to groundwater potential in El-Qaà Plain were determined. Geophysical data were supported by information derived from a digital elevation model, and from geologic, geomorphologic and hydrologic data, to reveal the promising sites. All the spatial data that represent the contributing factors were integrated and analyzed in a GIS framework to develop a groundwater prospective model. An appropriate weightage was specified to each factor based on its relative contribution towards groundwater potential, and the resulting map delineates the study area into five classes, from very poor to very good potential. The very good potential zones are located in the Quaternary deposits, with flat to gentle topography, dense lineaments and structurally controlled drainage channels. The groundwater potential map was tested against the distribution of groundwater wells and cultivated land. The integrated methodology provides a powerful tool to design a suitable groundwater management plan in arid regions.     

Geoelectrical Schlumberger investigation for characterizing the hydrogeological conditions using GIS in Omalur Taluk,Salem District,Tamil Nadu,India

The increasing demand for freshwater has necessitated the exploration for new sources of groundwater, particularly in hard rock terrain, where groundwater is a vital source of freshwater. A fast, cost effective, and economical way of exploration is to study and analyze geophysical resistivity survey data. The present study area Omalur taluk, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India, is overlain by Archaean crystalline metamorphic complex. The study area is a characteristic region of unconfined aquifer system. The potential for occurrence of groundwater in the study areas was classified as very good, good, moderate, and poor by interpreting the subsurface geophysical investigations, namely vertical electrical soundings, were carried out to delineate potential water-bearing zones. The studies reveal that the groundwater potential of shallow aquifers is due to weathered zone very low resistivity and very high thickness and the potential of deeper aquifers is determined by fracture zone very low resistivity and very high thickness area. By using conventional GIS method, the spatial distribution maps for different layer (top soil, weathered zone, first fracture zone, and second fracture zone) thicknesses were prepared. The geoelectrical approach was successfully applied in the study area and can be therefore easily adopted for similar environments.     

Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones using Remote Sensing and GIS of K-J Watershed,India

Groundwater potential zone mapping has become easier with the inputs from Remote Sensing (RS) & Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques. Various thematic maps like geology, geomorphology, drainage density, slope, landuse/landcover etc can be easily generated through RS & GIS. The present study is aimed at generating groundwater potential map of Koshalya-Jhajhara (K-J) watershed by using integrated approach of RS & GIS. Various thematic layers have been generated and assigned weightages and ranks. These layers have been integrated in GIS software for generating Groundwater Potential Zone (GPZ) map of K-J watershed. The area falls into five categories of groundwater potential zones i.e. very good, good, moderate, poor and very Poor depending on the likelihood of availability of ground water. On the basis of this study it is found that only 5.83 km² and 4.91 km² area is under very good and good category of groundwater availability respectively. An area of 24.48 km² is found under moderate category whereas dominant portion of K-J watershed i.e. 61.83 km² and 37.87 km² area falls under poor and very poor category of availability of groundwater respectively.     

Integrated GIS and remote sensing for mapping groundwater potentiality in the Tulul al Ashaqif,Northeast Jordan

Jordan with its limited water resources is currently classified as one of the four water-poor countries worldwide. This study was initiated to explore groundwater potential areas in Tulul al Ashaqif area, Jordan, by integrating remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and multicriteria evaluation techniques. Eight thematic layers were built in a GIS and assigned using multicriteria evaluation techniques suitable weights and ratings regarding their relative contribution in groundwater occurrence. These layers include lithology, geomorphology, lineaments density, drainage density, soil texture, rainfall, elevation, and slope. The final groundwater potentiality map generated by GIS consists of five groundwater potentiality classes: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. The map showed that the study area is generally of moderate groundwater potentiality (76.35 %). The very high and high potential classes occupy 2.2 and 12.75 % of study area, respectively. The validity of results of this GIS-based model was carried out by superimposing existing hand dug wells on the final map. The single parameter sensitivity test was conducted to assess the influence of the assigned weights on the groundwater potential model, and new effective weights were derived. The resulted groundwater potentiality map showed that the area occupied by each of the groundwater potentiality classes has changed. However, the study area remains generally of moderate groundwater potentiality (70.93 % of the study area). The area occupied by the very high and high potential classes comprises 4.53 and 18.56 % of the study area, respectively.     

Mapping favorable groundwater potential recharge zones using a GIS-based analytical hierarchical process and probability frequency ratio model:A case study from an agro-urban region of Pakistan

In Punjab(Pakistan),the increasing population and expansion of land use for agriculture have severely exploited the regional groundwater resources.Intensive pumping has resulted in a rapid decline in the level of the water table as well as its quality.Better management practices and artificial recharge are needed for the development of sustainable groundwater resources.This study proposes a methodology to delineate favorable groundwater potential recharge zones(FPRI) by integrating maps of groundwater potential recharge index(PRI) with the DRASTIC-based groundwater vulnerability index(VI).In order to evaluate both indexes,different thematic layers corresponding to each index were overlaid in ArcGIS.In the overlay analysis,the weights(for various thematic layers) and rating values(for sub-classes) were allocated based on a review of published literature.Both were then normalized and modified using the analytical hierarchical process(AHP) and a frequency ratio model respectively.After evaluating PRI and FPRI,these maps were validated using the area under the curve(AUC) method.The PRI map indicates that 53% of the area assessed exists in very low to low recharge zones,22% in moderate,and 25% in high to excellent potential recharge zones.The VI map indicates that 38% of the area assessed exists in very low to low vulnerability,33% in moderate,and 29% in high to very high vulnerability zones.The FPRI map shows that the central region of Punjab is moderately-to-highly favorable for recharge due to its low vulnerability and high recharge potential.During the validation process,it was found that the AUC estimated with modified weights and rating values was 79% and 67%,for PRI and VI indexes,respectively.The AUC was less when evaluated using original weights and rating values taken from published literature.Maps of favorable groundwater potential recharge zones are helpful for planning and implementation of wells and hydraulic structures in this region.     

Groundwater potential index in a crystalline terrain using remote sensing data

Demand for groundwater for drinking, agricultural and industrial purposes has increased due to uncertainty in the surface water supply. Agriculture is the main occupation of the rural people in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Development of groundwater in the district is very less, indicating a lot of scope for further development of groundwater resources. However, assessment of groundwater conditions, particularly in a crystalline terrain, is a complex task because of variations in weathering and fracturing zones from place to place. Systematic studies for evaluation of groundwater potential zones have been carried out in a crystalline terrain of the district. Information on soils, geological formations and groundwater conditions is collected during the hydrogeological survey. Topographical and drainage conditions are derived from the Survey of India topographical maps. Geomorphological units and associated landform features inferred and delineated from the Indian remote sensing satellite imagery (IRS ID LISS III FCC) are moderately buried pediplain (BPM), shallow buried pediplain (BPS), valley fills (VF), structural hill (SH), residual hills (RH), lineaments and land use/land cover. A groundwater potential index (GPI) is computed for relative evaluation of groundwater potential zones in the study area by integrating all the related factors of occurrence and movement of groundwater resources. Accordingly, the landforms, BPM, BPS, VF, SH and RH, of the area are categorized as very good groundwater potential zone, good to moderate groundwater potential zone, moderate to poor groundwater potential zone, poor to very poor groundwater potential zone and very poor groundwater potential zone, respectively, for development and utilization of both groundwater and surface water resources for eliminating water scarcity. This study could help to improve the agrarian economy for better living conditions of the rural people. Taking the total weight-score of the GPI into account, a generalized classification of groundwater potential zones is evaluated for a quick assessment of the occurrence of groundwater resources on regional scale.     

Flowing well potential zoning at Iraqi southern and western deserts using frequency ratio and geographic information system

The objective of this study is to integrate geographic information system and bivariate frequency ratio method for the mapping of flowing well zones in the west and southwest parts of the Euphrates river basin of Iraq. Ten groundwater conditioning factors are identified as controlling factors of groundwater movement based on data availability, literature review, and expert’s opinions. The spatial association between flowing well locations and groundwater controlling factors is investigated by means of a probabilistic frequency ratio approach. Seventy percent or 148 wells from an inventory of 211 flowing wells in the study area are randomly selected for training, and the remaining 30 or 63% wells are used for validation of the probabilistic frequency ratio model. The estimated probabilistic ratio values are overlaid and summed to produce the groundwater potential index map. The results reveal that groundwater potential in 128,547 km² or 84% of the total area is very low to low. The moderate potential zone covers an area of about 11,210 km² or 7%, while the high and very high potential zones are found in an area of 12,982 km² or 9% of the study area. Validation of obtaining results by means of a receiver operating characteristic technique reveals that the predictive accuracy of 94% indicating the excellent performance of the proposed approach for spatial zoning of groundwater flowing well boundary at Iraqi desert.     

Groundwater quality assessment for drinking purpose in Raipur city,Chhattisgarh using water quality index and geographic information system

An effort has been made to comprehend the groundwater quality of Raipur city for drinking purpose utilizing Water Quality Index (WQI) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. In this study thirty four groundwater samples were collected during May, 2015. Standard methods has been adopted in groundwater sampling which are prescribed by the American Public Health Association (APHA, 1995). Eight water quality parameters have been considered to ascertained water quality index viz. pH, chloride, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, hardness and nitrate. The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS, 2009) has been considered to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes and for the calculation of WQI. This study reveals that 76% area is falling under excellent, very good and good category and 24% area is falling under poor, very poor and unfit category as per the WQI classification. The predicted accuracy of the obtained result is around 97.05% reflecting capability of adopted techniques. Anthropogenic activities are influencing the groundwater quality of the study area. The present study is helpful in proper planning and management of available water resource for drinking purpose.     

Holistic approach of GIS based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and WetSpass models to evaluate groundwater potential in Gelana watershed of Ethiopia

Appropriate quantification and identification of the groundwater distribution in a hydrological basin may provide necessary information for effective management, planning and development of groundwater resources. Groundwater potential assessment and delineation in a highly heterogeneous environment with limited Spatiotemporal data derived from Gelana watershed of Abaya Chamo lake basin is performed, using integrated multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), water and energy transfer between soil and plant and atmosphere under quasi-steady state (WetSpass) models. The outputs of the WetSpass model reveal a favorable structure of water balance in the basin studied, mainly using surface runoff. The simulated total flow and groundwater recharge are validated using river measurements and estimated baseflow at two gauging stations located in the study area, which yields a good agreement. The WetSpass model effectively integrates a water balance assessment in a geographical information system (GIS) environment. The WetSpass model is shown to be computationally reputable for such a remote complex setting as the African rift, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and 0.99 for total flow and baseflow at a significant level of p-value<0.05, respectively. The simulated annual water budget reveals that 77.22% of annual precipitation loses through evapotranspiration, of which 16.54% is lost via surface runoff while 6.24% is recharged to the groundwater. The calibrated groundwater recharge from the WetSpass model is then considered when determining the controlling factors of groundwater occurrence and formation, together with other multi-thematic layers such as lithology, geomorphology, lineament density and drainage density. The selected five thematic layers through MCDA are incorporated by employing the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method to identify the relative dominance in groundwater potential zoning. The weighted factors in the AHP are procedurally aggregated, based on weighted linear combinations to provide the groundwater potential index. Based on the potential indexes, the area then is demarcated into low, moderate, and high groundwater potential zones (GWPZ). The identified GWPZs are finally examined using the existing groundwater inventory data (static water level and springs) in the region. About 70.7% of groundwater inventory points are coinciding with the delineated GWPZs. The weighting comparison shows that lithology, geomorphology, and groundwater recharge appear to be the dominant factors influence on the resources potential. The assessment of groundwater potential index values identify 45.88% as high, 39.38% moderate, and 14.73% as low groundwater potential zones. WetSpass model analysis is more preferable in the area like Gelana watershed when the topography is rugged, inaccessible and having limited gauging stations.     

Use of geospatial technology for delineating groundwater potential zones with an emphasis on water-table analysis in Dwarka River basin,Birbhum, India

Dwarka River basin in Birbhum, West Bengal (India), is an agriculture-dominated area where groundwater plays a crucial role. The basin experiences seasonal water stress conditions with a scarcity of surface water. In the presented study, delineation of groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) is carried out using a geospatial multi-influencing factor technique. Geology, geomorphology, soil type, land use/land cover, rainfall, lineament and fault density, drainage density, slope, and elevation of the study area were considered for the delineation of GWPZs in the study area. About 9.3, 71.9 and 18.8% of the study area falls within good, moderate and poor groundwater potential zones, respectively. The potential groundwater yield data corroborate the outcome of the model, with maximum yield in the older floodplain and minimum yield in the hard-rock terrains in the western and south-western regions. Validation of the GWPZs using the yield of 148 wells shows very high accuracy of the model prediction, i.e., 89.1% on superimposition and 85.1 and 81.3% on success and prediction rates, respectively. Measurement of the seasonal water-table fluctuation with a multiplicative model of time series for predicting the short-term trend of the water table, followed by chi-square analysis between the predicted and observed water-table depth, indicates a trend of falling groundwater levels, with a 5% level of significance and a p-value of 0.233. The rainfall pattern for the last 3 years of the study shows a moderately positive correlation (R ² = 0.308) with the average water-table depth in the study area.     

Applying deep learning and benchmark machine learning algorithms for landslide susceptibility modelling in Rorachu river basin of Sikkim Himalaya,India

Landslide is considered as one of the most severe threats to human life and property in the hilly areas of the world. The number of landslides and the level of damage across the globe has been increasing over time. Therefore, landslide management is essential to maintain the natural and socio-economic dynamics of the hilly region. Rorachu river basin is one of the most landslide-prone areas of the Sikkim selected for the present study. The prime goal of the study is to prepare landslide susceptibility maps(LSMs) using computer-based advanced machine learning techniques and compare the performance of the models.To properly understand the existing spatial relation with the landslide, twenty factors, including triggering and causative factors, were selected. A deep learning algorithm viz. convolutional neural network model(CNN) and three popular machine learning techniques, i.e., random forest model(RF), artificial neural network model(ANN), and bagging model, were employed to prepare the LSMs. Two separate datasets including training and validation were designed by randomly taken landslide and nonlandslide points. A ratio of 70:30 was considered for the selection of both training and validation points.Multicollinearity was assessed by tolerance and variance inflation factor, and the role of individual conditioning factors was estimated using information gain ratio. The result reveals that there is no severe multicollinearity among the landslide conditioning factors, and the triggering factor rainfall appeared as the leading cause of the landslide. Based on the final prediction values of each model, LSM was constructed and successfully portioned into five distinct classes, like very low, low, moderate, high, and very high susceptibility. The susceptibility class-wise distribution of landslides shows that more than 90% of the landslide area falls under higher landslide susceptibility grades. The precision of models was examined using the area under the curve(AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics(ROC) curve and statistical methods like root mean square error(RMSE) and mean absolute error(MAE). In both datasets(training and validation), the CNN model achieved the maximum AUC value of 0.903 and 0.939, respectively. The lowest value of RMSE and MAE also reveals the better performance of the CNN model. So, it can be concluded that all the models have performed well, but the CNN model has outperformed the other models in terms of precision.     

Groundwater potentiality mapping of hard-rock terrain in arid regions using geospatial modelling: example from Wadi Feiran basin,South Sinai,Egypt

Identifying a good site for groundwater exploitation in hard-rock terrains is a challenging task. In Sinai, Egypt, groundwater is the only source of water for local inhabitants. Interpretation of satellite data for delineation of lithological units and weathered zones, and for mapping of lineament density and their trends, provides a valuable aid for the location of groundwater promising areas. Complex deformational histories of the wide range of lithological formations add to the difficulty. Groundwater prospect mapping is a systematic approach that considers the major controlling factors which influence the aquifer and quality of groundwater. The presented study aims to delineate, identify, model and map groundwater potential zones in arid South Sinai using remote sensing data and a geographic information system (GIS) to prepare various hydromorphogeological thematic maps such as maps of slope, drainage density, lithology, landforms, structural lineaments, rainfall intensity and plan curvature. The controlling-factor thematic maps are each allocated a fixed score and weight, computed by using a linear equation approach. Furthermore, each weighted thematic map is statistically computed to yield a groundwater potential zone map of the study area. The groundwater potential zones thus obtained were divided into five categories (very poor, poor, moderate, good and very good) and were validated using the relation between the zone and the spatial distribution of productive wells and of previous geophysical investigations from a literature review. The results show the groundwater potential zones in the study area, and create awareness for better planning and management of groundwater resources.     

Mapping potential areas for groundwater storage in Wadi Aurnah Basin, western Arabian Peninsula, using remote sensing and geographic information system techniques

Water shortage has become a problem in many arid regions where rainfall is low. Wadi Aurnah Basin, in Saudi Arabia (Arabian Peninsula), where the Holy Islamic cities are located, was selected for study, since it represents a water-scarce region. The potential for groundwater storage was investigated. This was achieved using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques to cover the whole area (3,113 km²). Satellite images with high spatial resolution were processed to recognize terrain elements controlling the subsurface rock behavior. Landsat 7 ETM+, ASTER and SRTM satellite images were processed using ERDAS IMAGINE software. The influencing factors on groundwater storage were determined and digitally mapped as thematic layers. This included rainfall, lithology, rock fractures, slope, drainage and land cover/use. These factors were integrated in the GIS system (ArcView). A map was produced, indicating potential areas for groundwater storage. The map shows that 12–15% of Wadi Aurnah Basin has potential for groundwater storage, mainly in areas where intensive fracture systems exist.     

Application of probabilistic-based frequency ratio model in groundwater potential mapping using remote sensing data and GIS

The main goal of this study is to investigate the application of the probabilistic-based frequency ratio (FR) model in groundwater potential mapping at Langat basin in Malaysia using geographical information system. So far, the approach of probabilistic frequency ratio model has not yet been used to delineate groundwater potential in Malaysia. Moreover, this study includes the analysis of the spatial relationships between groundwater yield and various hydrological conditioning factors such as elevation, slope, curvature, river, lineament, geology, soil, and land use for this region. Eight groundwater-related factors were collected and extracted from topographic data, geological data, satellite imagery, and published maps. About 68 groundwater data with high potential yield values of ≥11 m³/h were randomly selected using statistical software of SPSS. Then, the groundwater data were randomly split into a training dataset 70 % (48 borehole data) for training the model and the remaining 30 % (20 borehole data) was used for validation purpose. Finally, the frequency ratio coefficients of the hydrological factors were used to generate the groundwater potential map. The validation dataset which was not used during the FR modeling process was used to validate the groundwater potential map using the prediction rate method. The validation results showed that the area under the curve for frequency model is 84.78 %. As far as the performance of the FR approach is concerned, the results appeared to be quite satisfactory, i.e., the zones determined on the map being zones of relative groundwater potential. This information could be used by government agencies as well as private sectors as a guide for groundwater exploration and assessment in Malaysia.     

Assessment of groundwater potential zone using remote sensing,GIS and multi criteria decision analysis techniques

The sustainable development and management of groundwater resource needs quantitative assessment, based on scientific principle and recent techniques. In the present study, groundwater potential zone is being determined using remote sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques using various thematic layers viz. geomorphology, geology, drainage density, slope, rainfall, soil texture, groundwater depth, soil depth, lineament and land use/ land cover. The Analytic Hierarchy Approach (AHP) is used to determine the weights of various themes for identifying the groundwater potential zone based on weights assignment and normalization with respect to the relative contribution of the different themes to groundwater occurrence. Finally, obtained groundwater potential zones were classified into five categories, viz. low, medium, medium-high, high and very high potential zone. The result depicts the groundwater potential zone in the study area and found to be helpful in better development and management planning of groundwater resource.     

Delineation of groundwater potential zones in Kakund watershed,Eastern Rajasthan,using remote sensing and GIS techniques

The remotely sensed data provides synoptic viewing and repetitive coverage for thematic mapping of natural resources. In the present study hydrogeomorphological mapping has been carried out in Kakund watershed, Eastern Rajasthan for delineating groundwater potential zones. IRS-1D LISS III Geocoded FCC data in conjunction with Survey of India toposheet (1:50000 scale) and field inputs were used for thematic mapping. Geomorphic units identified through visual interpretation of FCC include: alluvial plain, plateau, valley fills, intermontane valleys, burried pediment, residual hills, and linear ridges. In addition, lineaments were mapped since they act as conduit for groundwater recharge. Majority of the lineaments trends NE-SW and a few along NW-SE directions and are confined to the southern and southeastern parts of the watershed. Based on hydrogeomorphological, geological and lineament mapping the Kakund watershed has qualitatively been categorized into four groundwater potential zones, viz. good to very good, moderate to good, poor to moderate and very poor to poor. The study reveals that only 10.97% of the area has good to very good, 35.41% area with moderate to good, 49.04 % of the area has poor to moderatel, while remaining 4.57% has poor to very poor groundwater potential.     

Groundwater assessment in Salboni Block, West Bengal (India) using remote sensing, geographical information system and multi-criteria decision analysis techniques

An approach is presented for the evaluation of groundwater potential using remote sensing, geographic information system, geoelectrical, and multi-criteria decision analysis techniques. The approach divides the available hydrologic and hydrogeologic data into two groups, exogenous (hydrologic) and endogenous (subsurface). A case study in Salboni Block, West Bengal (India), uses six thematic layers of exogenous parameters and four thematic layers of endogenous parameters. These thematic layers and their features were assigned suitable weights which were normalized by analytic hierarchy process and eigenvector techniques. The layers were then integrated using ArcGIS software to generate two groundwater potential maps. The hydrologic parameters-based groundwater potential zone map indicated that the ‘good’ groundwater potential zone covers 27.14% of the area, the ‘moderate’ zone 45.33%, and the ‘poor’ zone 27.53%. A comparison of this map with the groundwater potential map based on subsurface parameters revealed that the hydrologic parameters-based map accurately delineates groundwater potential zones in about 59% of the area, and hence it is dependable to a certain extent. More than 80% of the study area has moderate-to-poor groundwater potential, which necessitates efficient groundwater management for long-term water security. Overall, the integrated technique is useful for the assessment of groundwater resources at a basin or sub-basin scale.