Abstract
Groundwater is vital to the sustenance and well-being of man-kind, although it is constantly under immense pressure. For this reason, there is need to develop an effective, reliable, scientific and sustainable means of delineating zones of groundwater occurrence and distribution with high precision in other to effectively explore for this resource. In this study, remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) have been combined to develop thematic maps of the zones of groundwater occurrence and distribution based on variable factors such as; elevation, drainage, lineament, slope, lithology and soil. The analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) was employed to classify and subsequently assign weight to each variable factor through weighted overlay analysis. Integration of these factors with their relative classes defined was used to produce a 2D-model for predicting surface aquifers mapped within Obubra. The study delineated three (3) surface aquifer zones representing groundwater potential zones. Zones representing high groundwater potential cover an area of approximately 331.94 Km2, accounting for 29.58% of the study area. The region that represents moderate to good groundwater occurrence and distribution covers an estimated area of approximately 648.42 Km2, occupying 57.78% of the study area. Zones with groundwater of low potential account for a total surface area of approximately 141.81 Km2 which is about 12.64% of the entire study area. Regions that show good to moderate and high groundwater potentials, have a wider distribution all across the study area except at the southernmost part. The study therefore shows that it is effective in delineating surface potential zones and hitherto a 2D surface aquifer model for groundwater exploration campaigns within Obubra and its environs.
Highlights
Groundwater is an essential natural resource for the reliable and sustainable supply of potable freshwater in both urban and rural environments
Zones representing high groundwater potential cover an area of approximately 331.94 Km2, accounting for 29.58% of the study area
The study shows that it is effective in delineating surface potential zones and hitherto a 2D surface aquifer model for groundwater exploration campaigns within Obubra and its environs
Summary
Groundwater is an essential natural resource for the reliable and sustainable supply of potable freshwater in both urban and rural environments. Studies according to [4], reveal that the occurrence of groundwater in any given place depends on the nature of the underlying lithology, structural lineaments, topography, slope, rainfall, vegetation and soil type. In Nigeria for example, the non-availability of funds and facilities has made it extremely difficult to carry out site investigations prior to drilling water well [5]. Field-based geological, hydrogeological and geophysical methods have been used conventionally to investigate and delineate groundwater zones [6] [7] [8], but these techniques are rather time consuming and too expensive to carry out
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