Isotopic signatures and hydrochemistry in assessing groundwater occurrence in the desert environs west Qena, Egypt

Mohamed Abdel Hadi Shedid El Sabri,Nabil Hosny Rofaayl,Kadry Nasser Sediek,Osama Hazem Eltabakh,Mohamed Ahmed Rashed

doi:10.1186/s42269-022-00707-1

Mohamed Abdel Hadi Shedid El Sabri, Nabil Hosny Rofaayl + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-022-00707-1

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Abstract

BackgroundDeveloping the desert zone outside the flood plain of the Nile River and targeting the reclamation of about 12,500 feddan in the desert environs of Qena governorate are considered one of the top priorities of both government and the private sectors. The present study is based on qualitative analyses of the groundwater of the Quaternary aquifer in the desert environs west Qena. Groundwater was chemically and isotopically analyzed to determine the origin of groundwater and assess its occurrence.ResultsThe obtained results indicate that the Quaternary aquifer represents the most important groundwater aquifer in the area. The water level ranges from + 40 to + 67 m above sea level. The groundwater movement direction in the study area is mainly from southeast to northwest direction, with some local flow groundwater directions from Nile River at the north to old alluvial plain and desert environs at the south. The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer is determined from the pumping test range from 17.63 to 42.86 m/day, with an average value of 27.04 m/day, while the transmissivity ranges between 2142.8 and 1128.3 m2/day, with an average value of 1456.74 m2/day. The total dissolved solids range from 589 to 3832 mg/L. Isotopic analysis (oxygen eighteen and deuterium) of fifteen groundwater samples was carried out to define the recharge source of the Quaternary aquifer. The groundwater isotopic data reflect variability in recharge conditions during different ages and different climatic regimes. According to the minor and trace elements concentration and US Salinity Laboratory Staff nomogram, most water samples are suitable for drinking purposes, domestic use and irrigation.ConclusionThe current research concluded that from the foregoing hydrological study and the determined values of hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity, the Quaternary aquifer is classified as ranging between moderate and high potential aquifer. The high potentiality of the aquifer is detected close to the Nile River. In addition to the representative groundwater samples showing the isotope signature of the Nile River sample, this means that all these wells have the same source of recharge (meteoric water of the Nile River).

Highlights

Developing the desert zone outside the flood plain of the Nile River and targeting the reclamation of about 12,500 feddan in the desert environs of Qena governorate are considered one of the top priorities of both government and the private sectors
Fifty groundwater samples were collected from the Quaternary aquifer in addition to one surface water sample from Nile River for chemical analysis, fifteen representative water samples were collected for isotopic analysis using plastic bottles, and each one was labeled with 6 number and highly sealed in December (2016)
The water-bearing sediments have a very wide geographical distribution in the Nile Valley and in the adjacent desert Wadies. They are mainly composed of gravels, sands and clay, which relate to the Pliocene clay overlying the fissured carbonates form the base of the Quaternary aquifer in the area (Said 1981)

Summary

Introduction

Developing the desert zone outside the flood plain of the Nile River and targeting the reclamation of about 12,500 feddan in the desert environs of Qena governorate are considered one of the top priorities of both government and the private sectors. El Sabri et al Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2022) 46:21 demand for more water necessary for reclamation of new land to be added to the existing cultivated land, so the development of groundwater resources in Egypt has received special attention a few years ago where the groundwater aquifers underlying the Nile Valley, the Delta, parts of the deserts and coastal area act as an auxiliary source of water in Egypt. Nowadays, the Egyptian Government and the private sector are interested in developing the desert zone outside the flood plain of the Nile River and targeting the reclamation of about 12,500 feddan in the west Qena area. The annual mean temperature is 31.5 °C, the annual rainfall is 3.83 mm, the annual mean of relative humidity is 30.68%, and the annual mean value of wind speed is 8.73 km/h (Tutiempo. net, 2018) and the intensity of evaporation is 11.28 mm/ day (Mahmoud 2005)

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