Hydro-geophysical Configuration for the Quaternary Aquifer of Nuweiba Alluvial Fan

Abstract

Nuweiba is one of Egypt’s strategic marine harbors and tourist sites located on the western coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. The absence of freshwater resources in Nuweiba necessitates investigations of local groundwater aquifers. Determination of the hydro-geophysical parameters of the Nuweiba alluvial fan constitutes the basic foundation for optimizing groundwater exploitation over time. Fifteen Schlumberger vertical electrical soundings (maximum [Formula: see text]), augmented by borehole stratigraphic data, aquifer tests, hydro-chemical analysis, and numbers of measured and/or calculated hydraulic parameters, were carried out in the study area. The fresh to brackish aquifer of Quaternary and pre-Quaternary alluvium sediments was effectively delineated with true resistivity and thickness ranges of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. The western part of the aquifer has a large volume of fresh ground water for extraction and is characterized by a gradual increase in thickness [Formula: see text], grain size, transmissivity [Formula: see text], and a possible decrease in total dissolved solids levels [Formula: see text] and electrical anisotropy (1.10–1.11). Porosity (30.3–30.4%), tortuosity (1.348), formation factor (6) and hydraulic conductivity [Formula: see text] are essentially constant across the aquifer. The measured storativity of the aquifer is [Formula: see text], which is in accordance with the typical value of the unconfined aquifer at shallow depths.