Determination of the Groundwater Potential Zones in Babylon Using Remote Sensing & GIS Techniques

Abstract

Freshwater found underground in the tiny spaces (pores) of soil and rocks is known as groundwater. Groundwater is a valuable resource that considerably contributes to the yearly supplies. To preserve water quality and oversee groundwater systems, evaluation of the potential zone of groundwater recharge is crucial. Using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, groundwater potential zones are identified. This study proposes to use satellite imagery and the software program (ArcGIS) to find a groundwater potential zone in Babylon City, Iraq. A groundwater map has been created using various data, namely slope, drainage density, lineament density, land use/land cover, geology type, soil type, and rainfall map. All these data are collected using a weighted overlay tool. Five categories were created based on the groundwater results: very poor, poor, moderate, good, and exceptional. The 'good' class covers about 32% of the study area. The current study shows that excellent groundwater class exists in Al-Hindiyah Dam, Al-Muhaweel, Al-Midhatiyah, Al-Kifil, and Al-Mashrua’a. The excellent groundwater class in Al-Shommali covers approximately 198.0054 km2. Certain areas like Al-Musaib Center, Al-Hilla Center, Al-Hashimiyah, and Abi Garaq don't have much groundwater. The moderate and excellent classes cover around 19% of the study area. The main conclusion is that Remote Sensing and GIS have gained recognition as a practical approach to mapping groundwater potential zones due to their ability to integrate diverse spatial data.