Groundwater of Egypt: “an environmental overview”

Although Egypt has the great Nile River, which is the main supply of water, Egypt’s water is limited to 55.5 billion m³ per annum. Owing to the rapid growth of the population and the increasing consumption of water in agriculture, industry, domestic use, etc., it is expected that Egypt will rely to some extent on groundwater to develop the new projects such as Tushka in Upper Egypt and East Oweinat. Issues related to groundwater in Egypt are identified with the common geological features associated with formation of the aquifers and demonstrating the location of the main resources of groundwater, followed by the main objective of this paper, which is addressing the environmental issues related to groundwater in Egypt. Several studies have been reviewed and personal communication made with the authorities to introduce this work and provide an overview of the groundwater quality problems in Egypt with examples from different parts of the country.     

Groundwater potential for irrigation in the East Oweinat area,Western Desert Egypt

The Nubia Sandstone aquifer system is one of the most extensive groundwater systems in North Africa, covering an area of about 2,000,000 km², including parts of Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Chad. In the Western Desert of Egypt, the Nubian formation has a thermal gradient of 1.1–5°C 100 m^–1 with the exception of the East Oweinat area, located in the southern part of the Western Desert. This is the only part of this huge system where ground-water occurs under unconfmed conditions in an area where the Nubian sandstone crops out and is underlain by shallow basement rocks; in this area groundwater has no thermal characteristics. The aquifer system in the East Oweinat area attains a relatively high hydraulic conductivity. The direction of groundwater flow is generally northeastwards but is distorted at faults and fracture zones. Chemical analyses of groundwater in the area indicate a low salt content and suitability for irrigation purposes. As the estimated recharge to the area is low compared with the foreseen irrigation water requirement, the development of groundwater in the East Oweinat should be based on groundwater mining. Although the evaluation of the groundwater resources in East Oweinat has indicated that groundwater can be extracted at a rate of 4.7×10⁶ m³ d^–1, the long-term economics of extraction that can sustain large-scale development projects has to be assessed.     

The contribution of geographic information systems and remote sensing in determining priority areas for hydrogeological development, Darb el-Arbain area, Western Desert, Egypt

The Darb el-Arbain study area is in the southern Western Desert of Egypt and has been attracting increasing developmental interest in the last few decades, especially since agricultural development of the southern Baris area, where the groundwater resources of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) have been utilized for the cultivation of valuable lands. Due to the proven high potential of both groundwater and land resources, determining the priority areas for sustainable hydrogeological development becomes a necessity. A geographic information system, as a platform for geospatial modeling techniques, has been built, which depends on the recently collected data about the NSAS, in addition to the published databases. Certain criteria of practical value, like depth to groundwater, hydraulic conductivity, groundwater salinity, sodium adsorption ratio, and the safe yield of wells, were selected as decisive parameters for hydrogeological prioritization. The model pinpoints areas characterized by favorable hydrogeological conditions, which could be used for future development and implementation of an artificial storage and recovery (ASR) program. The designated priority areas for hydrogeological development occur at the southern, middle southern and some localized northern parts of the Darb el-Arbain area. The newly formed Tushka Lakes represent a suitable and excellent natural source of freshwater for implementing an ASR program.     

Fluoride in Quaternary groundwater aquifer,Nile Valley,Luxor, Egypt

The occurrence of fluoride in ground water is the focus of the public and has attracted the attention of many scientists all over the world due to its importance in public health. Deficiency or increase of fluoride uptake is considered a public health problem due to the narrow permissible limit which should not exceed 1.5 mg/l according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The range of fluoride tolerance and toxicity is narrow. Deviation from the optimal levels therefore results in dental health effects such as caries and fluorosis. Many studies have found fluorosis to be invariably associated with high concentrations of fluoride in drinking water. Fluorosis is a considerable health problem in many areas of the world including Brazil, China, East Africa, Ghana, India, Kenya, Korea, Malawi, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, southeastern Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, and Turkey. Fluoride in groundwater of Quaternary aquifer of the Nile Valley, Egypt, does not gain the attention of the authors in the Nile Valley which makes the public health status of fluoride is not certain. The present work aims at investigating the fluoride concentration of Quaternary groundwater aquifer at Luxor as a representative area of the Nile Valley to be a base line for subsequent studies and criteria for public health. Ground water samples were collected from Quaternary groundwater aquifer at Luxor area, Egypt and analyzed for the purpose of investigating fluoride content. The results showed that fluoride concentration in the study area ranges between 0.113 and 0.452 with an average of 0.242 mg/l. Sources of fluoride in the study area can result from the natural dissolution from fluoride-rich minerals, fertilizers and from groundwater recharge. It is worth mentioning that low fluoride content in the study area is considered a public health threat specially limited growth, fertility, and dental caries. Corrective measures should be taken to avoid the public health impacts of fluoride deficiency at Luxor area as well as similar areas in the Nile Valley. A public health program should be initiated to account for the deficiency of fluoride in groundwater and deal with the other supplementary fluoride sources in food or fluoridation of drinking water supplies.     

Assessment of the Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Groundwater Resources at some Wadis in the East of El Minia Governorate, Eastern Desert, Egypt

The El Minia governorate lies within the Nile Valley, surrounded by calcareous plateaus to the east and west. The present study focuses on the hydrogeochemistry of the Eocene limestone aquifer at some wadis in the east El Minia governorate, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Hydrogeologically, two main aquifers are encountered in the study area, namely the Maghagha marly limestone and the Samalut chalky limestone aquifers. The Maghagha aquifer is composed of alternating layers of marly limestone and shale with thicknesses ranging from 3.49 m to 177.05 m and a groundwater depth ranging from 8.5 m to 59.27 m which reflects low groundwater potentiality. The groundwater salinity representing this aquifer ranges from 603.5 mg/L to 978.5 mg/L, reflecting fresh water type. Samalut aquifer is made up of chalky, cavernous and fractured limestone with thickness ranging from 30 m to 205 m and groundwater depth ranging from 9 m to 86.77 m, which indicates good groundwater potential. The groundwater salinity of the concerned aquifer ranges from 349.7 mg/L to 2043.9 mg/L, reflecting fresh to possibly brackish water types. Groundwater in the study area is of meteoric water origin; recent recharge is mainly controlled through the presence of fractures and their densities. The majority of groundwater samples in the study area are suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes.     

Age and origin of groundwater resources in the Ararat Valley,Armenia: a baseline study applying hydrogeochemistry and environmental tracers

Within the Ararat Valley (Armenia), a continuously growing water demand (for irrigation and fish farming) and a simultaneous decline in groundwater recharge (due to climate change) result in increasing stress on the local groundwater resources. This detrimental development is reflected by groundwater-level drops and an associated reduction of the area with artesian conditions in the valley centre. This situation calls for increasing efforts aimed at more sustainable water resources management. The aim of this baseline study was the collection of data that allows for study on the origin and age distribution of the Ararat Valley groundwater based on environmental tracers, namely stable (δ²H, δ¹⁸O) and radioactive (³⁵S, ³H) isotopes, as well as physical-chemical indicators. The results show that the Ararat Valley receives modern recharge, despite its (semi-)arid climate. While subannual groundwater residence times could be disproved (³⁵S), the detected ³H pattern suggests groundwater ages of several decades, with the oldest waters being recharged around 60 years ago. The differing groundwater ages are reflected by varying scatter of stable isotope and hydrochemical signatures. The presence of young groundwater (i.e., younger that the 1970s), some containing nitrate, indicates groundwater vulnerability and underscores the importance of increased efforts to achieve sustainable management of this natural resource. Since stable isotope signatures indicate the recharge areas to be located in the mountains surrounding the valley, these efforts must not be limited to the central part of the valley where most of the abstraction wells are located.

     

淮河流域地下水资源调查评价与利用研究

在查明淮河流域地下水各含水岩组的水文地质特征、水资源总量、开采现状及存在的环境地质问题的基础上,对该区域地下水资源开发利用潜力进行了详细的评价,并提出了相应的治理措施及促进地下水资源可持续利用的对策,为该区未来更长时期水资源的合理配置和以水资源的可持续利用支撑经济社会的可持续发展提供科学依据。     

An overview of phosphate rocks and their mining impact on groundwater,Eastern Desert,Egypt

The Eastern Desert of Egypt represents a remote arid area which is scarce in water resources. The area is characterized by many mining sites to exploit the phosphate deposits; thus, these activities can generate groundwater contaminants. The main objective of the present study is discussing the effect of the mining activities and phosphate bearing rocks on groundwater. The obtained results pointed out that the water bearing formations can be distinguished as Quaternary alluvial, Oligocene sandstone, Campanian phosphate limestone (Duwi Formation), and Precambrian basement rocks. Some of the investigated groundwater shows relatively high concentrations of trace elements compared to other samples, such as Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Sr. This is consistent with the analyses of phosphate rocks which are also enriched in the same trace elements. The high groundwater salinity is due to evaporation, limited re-charge, and leaching of salts in rocks. The results of speciation modeling reveal that majority of groundwater samples are supersaturated with calcite, aragonite, and dolomite, and some samples are also at equilibrium or supersaturated with hydroxyapatite. The groundwater quality in the study area evaluated for human drinking, livestock and poultry domestic, and industrial purposes is not suitable in most wells. It is obvious that the groundwater contamination occurs when drilling wells penetrate the phosphate bearing beds and not only at mining activity sites. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid any groundwater exploration from the Duwi Formation and also select the drilling sites outside the mining areas.     

Using multiple environmental methods to estimate groundwater discharge into an arid lake (Dakebo Lake,Inner Mongolia,China)

It is important to have both a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the hydraulic exchange between groundwater and surface water to support the development of effective management plans for sustainable use of water resources. Groundwater is a major source of surface-water recharge and plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of ecosystems, especially within wetlands in semi-arid regions. The Ordos Desert Plateau of Inner Mongolia (China) is a vulnerable ecosystem that suffers from an extreme lack of water. The hydraulic exchange between groundwater and lake water in Dakebo Lake (the largest of hundreds of lakes on the Ordos Desert Plateau) was evaluated using multiple environmental methods. Continuous monitoring of the groundwater and lake-water levels indicated that the lake was recharged vertically by groundwater. Application of hydrodynamic and temperature tracing methods to the western side of the lake indicated that the rate of groundwater discharge to the lake was about 2?×?10^?6 to 3?×?10^?6 m/s in spring, summer, and autumn, but that there was no recharge in winter because the hypolentic zone (HZ) was frozen. Mixing ratios of groundwater and lake water in the HZ, estimated from the ¹⁸O and ²H ratios, showed that there were spatial variations in the hydrodynamic exchange between groundwater and lake water within the HZ.     

兰村泉域地下水污染原因及可持续开发利用对策研究

为确保兰村泉域地下水资源的可持续开发利用,在现场踏勘及有关资料分析的基础上,对泉域地下水污染原因进行了研究。结果表明,兰村泉域地下水污染与以下因素有关:(1)污染物入渗;(2)地下水开采;(3)水环境化学条件变化;(4)部分地区地下水原生本底值异常。提出了泉域地下水可持续开发利用对策。研究成果为兰村泉域地下水资源保护与管理提供科学依据。     

化隆—循化盆地不同类型含水层组高氟地下水的分布及形成过程

天然成因的高氟地下水是世界范围内备受关注的环境问题和饮用水安全问题。前人对高氟地下水的形成过程已开展了大量研究,但是对于高原盆地复杂水文地质条件下不同类型含水层组(第四系松散层含水层、基岩裂隙或岩溶含水层以及新生代古近纪以来的碎屑岩含水层)高氟地下水的分布和形成过程尚不明确。本文以化隆—循化盆地为研究区,通过采集、测试研究区内的各类地下水样品,分析研究区内不同类型含水层中地下水的化学特征及同位素特征。结果表明,高氟地下水(1.007.73 mg/L)主要分布在沿黄河的河谷区域和巴燕低山丘陵区域的泉水和潜水中以及深部的承压水中,在垂向上高氟地下水无明显分布规律。接受黄河水入渗补给的河谷潜水中氟离子浓度较低,补给黄河的河谷潜水中氟离子浓度较高。贫钙富钠的弱碱性苏打型水有利于地下水中氟的富集。泉水和潜水中氟主要来源于萤石的溶解,而承压水中氟除了来源于萤石外,还来源于其他含氟矿物。对于潜水和第四系松散层泉水,蒸发浓缩作用促进了地下水中氟的富集。另外,阴离子竞争吸附作用、阳离子交换吸附作用是泉水(第四系松散层泉水和基岩裂隙泉水)和潜水中氟元素富集的主要原因,而承压水中氟离子浓度受竞争吸附作用影响较大,阳离子交换吸附作用影响较小。研究成果可为化隆—循化盆地低氟地下水的勘查和开发提供科学依据。     

A geo-environmental map for the sustainable development of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

An engineering and environmental geological map of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal has been elaborated within a project of German-Nepalese cooperation. In the Kathmandu Valley, the major geo-environmental problems arise from haphazard exploitation of geologic resources, local landslide zones, severe problems of garbage disposal, river flooding and a dramatic river pollution. The map was prepared by the use of GIS techniques. It contains all basic geological and environmental data, as geotechnical risk zones (landslide-prone areas or those of poor foundation conditions), areas for preferable extraction of construction material and those not to be allowed to be exploited, areas of immediate need of reforestation in order to prevent landslide or badland development, groundwater protection zones, and suitable garbage disposal sites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

地下水降落漏斗分类研究

地下水降落漏斗是抽水井开采地下水必然产生的物理现象,在其不同的发展阶段与不同的工程地质和水文地质条件结合,会产生截然不同的环境地质问题或是地质灾害.从地下水降落漏斗发生、发展及产生的地质灾害可能性分析出发,按照形成时间、开采井数量、危害程度和发展趋势对地下水降落漏斗进行了分类,旨在帮助人们加深对地下水降落漏斗本质的认识和理解,有助于对地下水资源的科学管理.     

地下水降落漏斗分类研究

地下水降落漏斗是抽水井开采地下水必然产生的物理现象，在其不同的发展阶段与不同的工程地质和水文地质条件结合，会产生截然不同的环境地质问题或是地质灾害.从地下水降落漏斗发生、发展及产生的地质灾害可能性分析出发，按照形成时间、开采井数量、危害程度和发展趋势对地下水降落漏斗进行了分类，旨在帮助人们加深对地下水降落漏斗本质的认识和理解，有助于对地下水资源的科学管理.     

Evaluation of groundwater vulnerability in El-Bahariya Oasis,Western Desert,Egypt, using modelling and GIS techniques: A case study

The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer (NSSA) is the main groundwater resource of the El-Bahariya Oasis, which is located in the middle of the Western Desert of Egypt. This aquifer is composed mainly of continental clastic sediments of sandstone with shale and clay intercalations of saturated thickness ranging between 100 and 1500 m. Vulnerability assessment to delineate areas that are more susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic sources has become an important element for sustainable resources management and land use planning. Accordingly, this research aims to estimate the vulnerability of NSSA by applying the DRASTIC model as well as utilising sensitivity analyses to evaluate the relative importance of the model parameters for aquifer vulnerability in the study area. The main objective is to demonstrate the combined use of the DRASTIC and the GIS techniques as an effective method for groundwater pollution risk assessment, and mapping the areas that are prone to deterioration of groundwater quality and quantity. Based on DRASTIC index (DI) values, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced using the GIS. The aquifer analysis in the study area highlighted the following key points: the northeastern and western parts of the NSSA were dominated by ‘High’ vulnerability classes while the northwestern and southeastern parts were characterised by ‘Medium’ vulnerability classes. The elevated central part of the study area displayed ‘Low’ aquifer vulnerability. The vulnerability map shows a relatively greater risk imposed on the northeastern part of the NSSA due to the larger pollution potential of intensive vegetable cultivation. Depth-to-water, topography and hydraulic conductivity parameters were found to be more effective in assessing aquifer vulnerability.     

Assessing groundwater storage changes in the Nubian aquifer using GRACE data

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) level two (L2) data is used in estimating the groundwater storage changes (GWSC) in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS). This set of data consists of spherical harmonics coefficients with specific degree and order. The GRACE data is de-correlated using a sixth degree polynomial in order to reduce the effect of the noise error resulting from the correlation between the spherical harmonics coefficients with the same degree parity. The GRACE estimates of GWSC are smoothed using Gaussian filter with half width of 1000 km. This half width is chosen in order to maximize the correlation between the GRACE estimates of GWSC and previous modeling results of the NSAS. The loss in groundwater storage occurring in each of the four countries sharing the NSAS is calculated to assess the sustainability of using the NSAS as a water resource in each country. The overarching finding in this study is that NSAS is losing its groundwater storage at a very high rate. Also, it is found that Egypt is the fastest in losing its groundwater storage from the NSAS. This loss of groundwater storage in Egypt may not necessarily be resulting from in-country extractions because of the trans-boundary nature of this aquifer. The GRACE-based estimates are found to be close to available data and previous modeling results of the NSAS.     

Groundwater vulnerability assessment in shallow aquifer of Kathmandu Valley using GIS-based DRASTIC model

In this paper, groundwater aquifer vulnerability map has been developed by incorporating the major geological and hydro-geological factors that affect and control the groundwater contamination using GIS based DRASTIC model. This work demonstrates the potential of GIS to derive a map by overlying various spatially referenced digital data layers that portrays cumulative aquifer sensitivity ratings across the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, providing a relative indication of groundwater vulnerability to contamination. In fact, the groundwater is the major natural resources in Kathmandu for drinking purpose. The decline in groundwater levels due to the over exploitation and thus extracted water from shallow aquifer has been contaminated by the infiltration of pollutants from polluted river and land surface is continuous and serious. As the demand for water for human and industrial use has escalated and at the same time, the engineering and environmental costs are much higher for new water supplies than maintaining the existing sources already in use. Management of groundwater source and protecting its quality is therefore essential to increase efficient use of existing water supplies. Aquifer vulnerability maps developed in this study are valuable tools for environmental planning and predictive groundwater management. Further, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to evaluate the influence of single parameters on aquifer vulnerability assessment such that some subjectivity can be reduced to some extent and then new weights have been computed for each DRASTIC parameters.     

Environmental contamination of groundwater in the Gaza Strip

Environmental problems of groundwater contamination in the Gaza Strip are summarized in this paper. The Gaza Strip is a very narrow and highly populated area along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (360 km²). Human activities greatly threaten the groundwater resources in the area, while the unconfined nature of some parts of the coastal main aquifer favors groundwater contamination. Recent investigations show contamination of the aquifer with organic substances from detergents, agrochemicals, sewage (cesspools), and waste degradation. These effects enhance each other because there is no recycling industry, sewage system, or any type of environmental protection management at present. Inorganic contamination results from overpumping, which increases the salinity of the groundwater. Seawater intrusion also increases the salinity of the groundwater that are used for drinking and agricultural purposes. Consequently, at present about 80 percent of the groundwater in the Gaza Strip is unfit for both human and animal consumption. Solutions are very urgently needed for these problems in order to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases.     

Integrated geostatistics and GIS techniques for assessing groundwater contamination in Al Arish area, Sinai, Egypt

Sustainable development in El Arish area of North Sinai, Egypt, is retarded by serious environmental problems, where the land-use and land cover of the region is changing over present time. The impact of human activities in the study area is accompanied by the destruction and over-exploitation of the environment. This study applies multivariate statistics (factor and cluster analyses) and GIS techniques to identify both anthropogenic and natural processes affecting the groundwater quality in the Quaternary sands aquifer. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts on groundwater resources, the potential pollution sources, and to identify the main anthropogenic inputs of both nutrients and trace metal. Since the depth to the water table is shallow especially in the northern part (<4?m), and the aquifer was exposed on the ground surface, it has poor buffering capacity and the pollution risk is very high. Groundwater chemistry in this coastal region has complex contaminant sources, where intensive farming activities and untreated wastes put stress on groundwater quality. Several areal distribution maps were constructed for correlating water quality with possible contributing factors such as location, land-use, and aquifer depth. These maps identified both anthropogenic and natural processes affecting groundwater quality of the studied aquifer. Cluster analysis was used to classify water chemistry and determine the hydrochemical groups, Q-mode dendrogram is interpreted and there are three main clusters. Factor analyses identify the potential contamination sources affecting groundwater hydrochemistry such as: nitrate, sulfate, phosphate and potassium fertilizers, pesticides, sewage pond wastes, and salinization due to circulation of dissolved salts in the irrigation water itself.     

Mesozoic stratigraphy and history of the Canning Desert and Fitzroy Valley,Western Australia

Abstract

Large outcrop areas in the Canning Desert and the Fitzroy Valley of northwestern Australia consist of marine Jurassic and Upper Triassic rocks, not of Permian as formerly believed. On present knowledge, outcrops of the Triassic formations are restricted to parts of the Fitzroy and Bonaparte Gulf Basins, whereas the distribution of Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) rocks provides evidence for a major marine invasion that affected the Canning Desert area and may have advanced into the centre of the Australian continent and beyond. The late Jurassic transgression did not enter the Fitzroy Basin area.

From the distribution and nature of the Mesozoic formations it is concluded that the main phase of post-Permian folding in the Fitzroy Basin is early Triassic. Later movements affected minor northern parts of the Canning Desert area in early Jurassic and in early Cretaceous time.

As an alternative working hypothesis to the traditional basin concept it is suggested that during the Mesozoic the Canning Desert area was an epicontinental shelf platform.