Abstract
This study is focused on determining the nature, extend and spatial variation of the subsurface and groundwater in the Matsheumhlope low yielding aquifer so as to improve the understanding of groundwater occurrence within Bulawayo Metropolitan area. The abstraction and utilisation of groundwater from crystalline basement complexes have often been hampered by the high rate of borehole failure. For instance, borehole failure in the Matsheumhlope wellfield that characterises the greater part of Bulawayo City, Zimbabwe, is often ascribed to many factors which are yet to be investigated locally and regionally. The electrical resistivity method was used to establish the depth, thickness and sequence of geological units in the low yielding aquifer. Satellite data were used to delineate the lineaments and assess the topographic features of the area. Geological samples obtained from boreholes were correlated with the geophysical pseudo sections to give a better view of the subsurface and groundwater occurrence in the area. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to model the geophysical characteristics of the subsurface giving the potential groundwater occurrence in the area. The study confirmed that the Matsheumhlope aquifer is a heterogeneous unconfined aquifer with a shallow depth to the basement rock in highlands of the study area. The results also showed high spatial variation of subsurface formations and groundwater potential over short distances, thereby indicating the complex nature of mapping basement aquifers. Borehole failure in the area was attributed to the occurrence of shallow depth of the bedrock underlying some parts of the aquifer. Therefore the results of the study recommended that the structural and geodynamic analysis of the fractures of the whole Matsheumhlope aquifer should be done using both structural mapping and geophysical methods.
Highlights
Hydrogeological conditions, such as spatial and temporal variability of basement aquifers cause problems in many urban areas that rely on groundwater
The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data acquired from the ASTER satellite was combined with the Global Positioning System (GPS) data to observe the variations in terrain since it affects the movement of groundwater
The study has managed to identify and delineate the nature, extent and spatial distribution of the components of the low yield aquifer in the Matsheumhlope wellfield. This has invariably provided some preliminary data on the groundwater potential of the area that can be used for improvement and development of the water resources of Bulawayo Metropolitan
Summary
Hydrogeological conditions, such as spatial and temporal variability of basement aquifers cause problems in many urban areas that rely on groundwater. In addition to basic data problems, the distribution of water within Africa is not uniform and the continent has the greatest spatial, and temporal, supply variability of any region in the world (Walling, 1996). This makes it difficult to give broad overviews on groundwater management difficult. Considering the general scarcity and variability of hydrogeophysical data in most arid and semiarid zones of Southern Africa, this is to be expected This is realised in areas which are under extreme environmental conditions of drought and erratic rainfall patterns like Zimbabwe. An example is the Bulawayo Metropolitan which is located in the semi-arid region of western Zimbabwe that experiences perennial water shortages for domestic and industrial use
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