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

Arnous, Mohamed O.

Groundwater potentiality mapping of hard-rock terrain in arid regions using geospatial modelling: example from Wadi Feiran basin, South Sinai, Egypt | Cartographie des potentialités des aquifères en terrains de socle en régions arides à partir de la modélisation géospatiale: exemple du bassin du Wadi Feiran, Sud Sinaï, Egypte Mapeo de la potencialidad del agua subterránea en terrenos de roca dura en las regiones áridas utilizando el modelado geoespacial: ejemplo de la cuenca de Wadi Feiran, Sinaí del Sur, Egipto تخريط إمكانات المياه الجوفية فى الصخور الصلبة بالمناطق الجافة بإستخدام النمذجة المكانيه: مثال لحوض وادى فيران، جنوب سيناء، مصر 采用地质空间模拟绘制干旱地区硬岩地域地下水潜能图:埃及西奈半岛南部Wadi Feiran流域的实例 Mapeamento da potencialidade das águas subterrâneas em terreno de rocha fraturada em regiões áridas utilizando modelagem geoespacial: exemplo da bacia Wadi Feiran, Sul do Sinai, Egito

2016

Arnous, Mohamed O.

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.

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