The use of remotely sensed data to reveal geologic, structural, and hydrologic features and predict potential areas of water resources in arid regions

Abstract

Egypt’s arid deserts resemble the Sahara. They lack water resources because of climatic conditions, although the high topographic areas receive rainfall during sporadic storms. In this article, integrating radar Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS)/Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR), Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data reveal the geological, geomorphic, structural, and hydrological features in Wadi Batur (WB), Egypt. This defunct tributary of the Nile basin, in the eastern Egyptian desert, covers approximately 6600 km2. Analysis of the remotely sensed data shows that the northwest–southeast structures control the structures discussed in this study, which are later captured by the east–west trend. A fused ALOS/PALSAR and Landsat-8 image reveals two water outlets for the WB: one extends between the Precambrian and Phanerozoic rocks and drains in a northwestern direction to Wadi Matula in the north, and the second cuts the sedimentary rock and drains to the west, at Idfu. Ten sub-basins were extracted by using SRTM data and arranged by their infiltration properties. Eight evidential maps were combined after assigning a weight to each, and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technique was used to predict the groundwater recharge potential zones (GPZs). The results show that the predicted GPZs in the WB fall into six categories, ranging from excellent to bare/absent. Importantly, about 10% of the surface areas in the WB basin are characterized by an excellent recharging potential and represent the most promising zones for future groundwater extraction. Combining various datasets derived from satellite sensors is a substantial tool to detect geological features and explore groundwater resources in arid environments.