Abstract
Bakreswar geothermal area in West Bengal is one of the few groups of geothermal areas in the Chotanagpur Plateau in eastern India which are characterised by surfacial manifestation of a cluster of springs (35O-88OC) mostly issuing out of fractures in a Precambrian cratonic mass comprising predominantly granitic rocks with sedimentary outliers of Gondwana Formation. Wenner resistivity profiling, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and geological studies in the area reveal the presence of a nearly N-S trending and easterly dipping hidden fault that provides outlets for upflowing thermal water to emerge as springs. VES results indicate the presence of three to five lithological layers under the prevailing hydrodynamic conditions. The intermediate weathered zone and fractured rocks togetherly constitute an unconfined regional aquifer; sparsely occurring artesian aquifers are detected within the basement granite gneiss. The VES findings are also in good agreement with the borehole lithologs. Moreover, VES results indicate few ground- water potential zones of apreciable thickness in the eastern part of the fault. A comparative study on chemical compositions of thermal spring waters with adjoining cold groundwaters indicates that thermal waters are Na-SO,-Cl type with alkaline pH while the groundwaters are mostly Na-HCO, type with near neutral pH.
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