Mapping potential areas for groundwater storage in the High Guir Basin (Morocco):Contribution of remote sensing and geographic information system

Identification of water potential areas in arid regions is a crucial element for the enhancement of their water resources and socio-economic development. In fact, water resources system-planning can be used to make various decisions and implement management of water resources policies. The purpose of this study is to identify groundwater storage areas in the high Guir Basin by implementing Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing methods. The required data for this study can be summarized into five critical factors: Topography (slope), lithology, rainfall, rock fracture and drainage. These critical factors have been converted by the GIS into thematic maps. For each critical parameter, a coefficient with weight was attributed according to its importance. The map of potential groundwater storage areas is obtained by adding the products (coefficient × weight) of the five parameters. The results show that 50% to 64% of the total area of the High Guir Basin is potentially rich in groundwater, where most of fracture systems are intensely developed. The obtained results are validated with specific yield of the aquifer in the study area. It is noted that there is a strong positive correlation between excellent groundwater potential zones with high flows of water points and it diminishes with low specific yield with poor potential zones.     

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.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987115000390

The demand for fresh water in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka is rapidly increasing with the enormous amount of ongoing development projects in the region. Nevertheless, the district experiences periodic water stress conditions due to seasonal precipitation patterns and scarcity of surface water resources.Therefore, management of available groundwater resources is critical, to fulfil potable water requirements in the area. However, exploitation of groundwater should be carried out together with artificial recharging in order to maintain the long term sustainability of water resources. In this study, a GIS approach was used to delineate potential artificial recharge sites in Ambalantota area within Hambantota. Influential thematic layers such as rainfall, lineament, slope, drainage, land use/land cover, lithology, geomorphology and soil characteristics were integrated by using a weighted linear combination method. Results of the study reveal high to moderate groundwater recharge potential in approximately 49% of Ambalantota area.     

Potential groundwater recharge zones within New Zealand

Water resources in New Zealand are not evenly distributed across the country which makes it difficult to adequately allocate the use of water resources in every basin. Groundwater is a fundamental water resource in New Zealand for agricultural, industrial and domestic use. Detailed knowledge regarding groundwater recharge potential is a pre-requisite for sustainable groundwater management, including the assessment of its vulnerability to contamination by pollutants. In this study, a comprehensive GIS approach was used to map the potential groundwater recharge zones across New Zealand. National data sets of lithology, slope, aspect, land use, soil drainage and drainage density were converted to raster data sets with a spatial resolution of 500 m × 500 m and superimposed to derive groundwater potential zones. The resultant maps demonstrate that the potential is low in urban and mountainous areas, such as the Southern Alps, whereas the highest potential can be found in regions with large lakes and in the lower elevation plains areas, where Quaternary sediments prevail. The resulting maps can be used to identify areas of high nutrient leaching in zones where high groundwater recharge potential exists.     

A knowledge-driven GIS modeling technique for groundwater potential mapping at the Upper Langat Basin, Malaysia

The aim of this paper is to use a knowledge-driven expert-based geographical information system (GIS) model coupling with remote-sensing-derived parameters for groundwater potential mapping in an area of the Upper Langat Basin, Malaysia. In this study, nine groundwater storage controlling parameters that affect groundwater occurrences are derived from remotely sensed imagery, available maps, and associated databases. Those parameters are: lithology, slope, lineament, land use, soil, rainfall, drainage density, elevation, and geomorphology. Then the parameter layers were integrated and modeled using a knowledge-driven GIS of weighted linear combination. The weightage and score for each parameter and their classes are based on the Malaysian groundwater expert opinion survey. The predicted groundwater potential map was classified into four distinct zones based on the classification scheme designed by Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG). The results showed that about 17% of the study area falls under low-potential zone, with 66% on moderate-potential zone, 15% with high-potential zone, and only 0.45% falls under very-high-potential zone. The results obtained in this study were validated with the groundwater borehole wells data compiled by the JMG and showed 76% of prediction accuracy. In addition statistical analysis indicated that hard rock dominant of the study area is controlled by secondary porosity such as distance from lineament and density of lineament. There are high correlations between area percentage of predicted groundwater potential zones and groundwater well yield. Results obtained from this study can be useful for future planning of groundwater exploration, planning and development by related agencies in Malaysia which provide a rapid method and reduce cost as well as less time consuming. The results may be also transferable to other areas of similar hydrological characteristics.     

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.     

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.     

Geographic Information System and groundwater quality mapping in Panvel Basin,Maharashtra, India

Panvel Basin of Raigarh district, Maharashtra, India is the study area for groundwater quality mapping using the Geographic Information System (GIS). The study area is typically covered by Deccan basaltic rock types of Cretaceous to Eocene age. Though the basin receives heavy rainfall, it frequently faces water scarcity problems as well as water quality problems in some specific areas. Hence, a GIS based groundwater quality mapping has been carried out in the region with the help of data generated from chemical analysis of water samples collected from the basin. Groundwater samples show quality exceedence in terms of chloride, hardness, TDS and salinity. These parameters indicate the level of quality of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. Idrisi 32 GIS software was used for generation of various thematic maps and for spatial analysis and integration to produce the final groundwater quality map. The groundwater quality map shows fragments pictorially representing groundwater zones that are desirable and undesirable for drinking and irrigation purposes.     

Determining the groundwater potential recharge zone and karst springs catchment area: Saldoran region,western Iran

Assessing the groundwater recharge potential zone and differentiation of the spring catchment area are extremely important to effective management of groundwater systems and protection of water quality. The study area is located in the Saldoran karstic region, western Iran. It is characterized by a high rate of precipitation and recharge via highly permeable fractured karstic formations. Pire-Ghar, Sarabe-Babaheydar and Baghe-rostam are three major karstic springs which drain the Saldoran anticline. The mean discharge rate and electrical conductivity values for these springs were 3, 1.9 and 0.98 m³/s, and 475, 438 and 347 μS/cm, respectively. Geology, hydrogeology and geographical information system (GIS) methods were used to define the catchment areas of the major karstic springs and to map recharge zones in the Saldoran anticline. Seven major influencing factors on groundwater recharge rates (lithology, slope value and aspect, drainage, precipitation, fracture density and karstic domains) were integrated using GIS. Geology maps and field verification were used to determine the weights of factors. The final map was produced to reveal major zones of recharge potential. More than 80 % of the study area is terrain that has a recharge rate of 55–70 % (average 63 %). Evaluating the water budget of Saldoran Mountain showed that the total volume of karst water emerging from the Saldoran karst springs is equal to the total annual recharge on the anticline. Therefore, based on the geological and hydrogeological investigations, the catchment area of the mentioned karst springs includes the whole Saldoran anticline.     

引水补源工程对黛溪河流域地下水补给效果浅析

南水北调是国家级的重大水利工程,调水效果最终依赖于接收调水地区对调水的具体利用,引水补源工程是南水北调工程在邹平市的具体利用。为评价引水补源工程对黛溪河流域地下水的补给效果,在分析邹平市引水补源工程实施后黛溪河流域地下水资源的各个补给项的基础上,采用水均衡法计算各个地下水补给量,确定了黛溪河流域引水补源的总补给量。将总补给量视为本区地下水可开采资源量,将地下水可开采资源量与本区用水所需的地下水开采量相比较,对本区地下水资源可开采潜力进行了评价,论证了引水补源工程可有效缓解区内地下水超采问题。另外,还充分利用年地下水动态和多年地下水位动态变化等监测资料,揭示了引水补源工程对区内地下水的有效补充作用,为区内合理开发利用地下水资源提供了依据。     

Analysis of the effect of Water Diversion and Source Supplement Project on groundwater recharge in Daixi River Basin

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project is a major national water conservancy project, but the effect of the water transfer depends on the utilization of water in the receiving areas. Water Diversion and Source Supplement Project is a specific utilization of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Zouping City. In order to analyze the effect of Water Diversion and Source Supplement Project on groundwater recharge in Daixi River Basin, the authors adopted the water balance method to calculate the groundwater recharge and total recharge of water diversion sources, based on the analysis of the groundwater recharge items in Daixi River Basin after carrying out this project. The total recharge is regarded as the amount of exploitable groundwater resources. The exploitable potential of groundwater resources in this area is evaluated by the comparison of the amount of exploitable groundwater resources and the actual amount of groundwater exploitation, and the effect of Water Diversion and Source Supplement Project on the over-exploitation of groundwater on the remission area was also demonstrated. Besides, the effective replenishment effect of this project on the groundwater in the study area was also revealed based on the annual groundwater and multi-year groundwater level dynamic monitoring data, which provides some reference for the rational development and utilization of groundwater resources in this region.     

Evaluation of groundwater potential zones using electrical resistivity and GIS in Noyyal river basin,Tamil Nadu

The purpose of this study was to identify the groundwater potential zones in Noyyal river basin using GIS and electrical resistivity. River Noyyal was perennial with good flow till early seventies. In recent years, the scene has changed drastically and the river has become practically seasonal and receives copious water during northeast monsoon from September to November. The rest of the years it remains more or less dry. Since the surface water resources in the area are inadequate to meet the local needs it is necessary to explore groundwater resources which has not been done properly. Hence various thematic maps have been used for the preparation of groundwater prospective map by integrating geology, geomorphology, slope, drainage and lineament of the study area. Electrical resistivity survey was conducted at 52 locations by using Schlumberger configuration. From this weathered thickness and depth to basement have been taken and overlaid for identifying groundwater potential sites and finally this result was compared with yield data. The interpretation shows that the entire study area has moderate to good category of groundwater potential.     

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.     

Mapping groundwater contamination risk using GIS and groundwater modelling. A case study from the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Increasing pressure on water resources worldwide has resulted in groundwater contamination, and thus the deterioration of the groundwater resources and a threat to the public health. Risk mapping of groundwater contamination is an important tool for groundwater protection, land use management, and public health. This study presents a new approach for groundwater contamination risk mapping, based on hydrogeological setting, land use, contamination load, and groundwater modelling. The risk map is a product of probability of contamination and impact. This approach was applied on the Gaza Strip area in Palestine as a case study. A spatial analyst tool within Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to interpolate and manipulate data to develop GIS maps of vulnerability, land use, and contamination impact. A groundwater flow model for the area of study was also used to track the flow and to delineate the capture zones of public wells. The results show that areas of highest contamination risk occur in the southern cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah. The majority of public wells are located in an intermediate risk zone and four wells are in a high risk zone.     

Assessment and geospatial distribution mapping of fluoride concentrations in the groundwater of Al-Howban Basin,Taiz-Yemen

Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources of drinking water on the earth planet. In rural areas of Yemen, groundwater is the main resource for drinking as well as for domestic purposes. According to the World Health Organization, one of the most important elements that has to be found in drinking water is fluorine (fluoride) but within the range of concentration of 0.5 up to 1.5 mg/l. Otherwise, any concentration of fluoride out of that range may cause serious diseases in human’s body such as fluorosis, kidney chronic disease, and/or nephrotoxicity. Taiz City, the third important and largest city in Yemen, has been suffering from dental fluorosis for a few decades. The main resource for drinking water in this city and adjacent areas is Al-Howban Basin (the study area) from where 33 groundwater samples were collected from 33 stations. These samples were preserved and then chemically analyzed according to the American Public Health Association Standards. The results reflected high levels of fluoride concentrations up to 3.6 mg/l in groundwater of many stations. GIS mapping was used to produce a geospatial distribution map of fluoride concentrations using ArcGIS-inverse distance weighted (IDW) tool. As a result, three zones of risks were identified in the study area: mild risk zone which covers the major part of the study area, moderate risk zone, and zone of no risk (optimum level zone). The last two zones occupy small portions of the study area. Consequently, dental and skeletal fluorosis, kidney, and/or nephrotoxic diseases are highly expected to be detected in the study area. Groundwater treatment measurements and health precautions are strongly recommended to be taken by local authorities in the near future.     

A GIS-based DRASTIC model for assessing shallow groundwater vulnerability in the Zhangye Basin,northwestern China

Groundwater vulnerability is a cornerstone in evaluating the risk of groundwater contamination and developing management options to preserve the quality of groundwater. Based on the professional model (DRASTIC model) and geographical information system (GIS) techniques, this paper carries out the shallow groundwater vulnerability assessment in the Zhangye Basin. The DRASTIC model uses seven environmental parameters (depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone, and hydraulic conductivity) to characterize the hydrogeological setting and evaluate aquifer vulnerability. According to the results of the shallow groundwater vulnerability assessment, the Zhangye Basin can be divided into three zones: low groundwater vulnerability risk zone (risk index <120); middle groundwater vulnerability risk zone (risk indexes 120–140) and high risk zone (risk index >140). Under the natural conditions, the middle and high groundwater vulnerability risk zones of the Zhangye Basin are mainly located in the groundwater recharge zones and the important cities. The high, middle and low groundwater vulnerability risk zones of the Zhangye Basin cover around 17, 21 and 62% of study area, respectively.     

Deciphering potential groundwater zone in hard rock through the application of GIS

Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System has become one of the leading tools in the field of hydrogeological science, which helps in assessing, monitoring and conserving groundwater resources. It allows manipulation and analysis of individual layer of spatial data. It is used for analysing and modelling the interrelationship between the layers. This paper mainly deals with the integrated approach of Remote Sensing and geographical information system (GIS) to delineate groundwater potential zones in hard rock terrain. The remotely sensed data at the scale of 1:50,000 and topographical information from available maps, have been used for the preparation of ground water prospective map by integrating geology, geomorphology, slope, drainage-density and lineaments map of the study area. Further, the data on yield of aquifer, as observed from existing bore wells in the area, has been used to validate the groundwater potential map. The final result depicts the favourable prospective zones in the study area and can be helpful in better planning and management of groundwater resources especially in hard rock terrains.     

Morphometric analysis of Araniar river basin using remote sensing and geographical information system in the assessment of groundwater potential

Morphometric analysis using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS), in the recent study, has become an efficient method in the assessment of groundwater potential of a river basin. The present study focused on the morphometric analysis of Araniar river basin using RS and GIS techniques in the identification of groundwater potential zones for effective planning and management of groundwater resources of the basin. The study area was divided into six subbasins for the purpose of micro-level morphometric analysis. The main stream of the basin is of fifth order and drainage patterns of subbasins are mostly of dendritic and parallel type. Based on the linear, areal and relief parameters of subbasins, the groundwater potential zones of the basin were identified and the results substantiated with geomorphology map derived from RS data. The elongated shape, favourable drainage network, permeable geologic formation and low relief of the subbasins WS3, WS5 and WS6 make them the promising groundwater potential zones of Araniar river basin. The statistical analysis and overlay analysis of the morphometric parameters also indicated the subbasins WS3, WS5 and WS6 as high groundwater potential zones. The groundwater potential zone map when overlaid with groundwater fluctuation map indicated the suitable sites for artificial recharge structures.     

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.