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Geophysical Prospecting of Aquifer Hydrogeological Properties: Implications for Groundwater Resource Management in Parts of Indus Plain, Pakistan

Published in Hydrology (Volume 11, Issue 2)
Received: 17 June 2023    Accepted: 7 July 2023    Published: 24 July 2023
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Abstract

Groundwater resource management is globally essential for sustainable development, as approximately 30% of Earth's total freshwater is accessible as groundwater. Additionally, the sustainability of groundwater resources in northeast Punjab province, Pakistan, is under threat due to several processes, including overexploitation, increasing pollution, and anthropogenic activities in the current Anthropocene era. Addressing this problem requires continuous hydrogeological exploration. Thus, extensive and adequate hydrogeological exploration is necessary to identify underlying geological layers, the aquifer layer, and aquifer hydrogeological properties. In this study, we conducted the resistivity technique, specifically vertical electrical sounding (VES), in conjunction with borehole lithological logs. The objective was to delineate the variations in depth, thickness, and resistivity of the underlying hydrogeological layers, as well as to evaluate the aquifer geohydraulic properties (e. g., depth, thickness, apparent resistivity, transverse resistance, longitudinal conductance, hydraulic conductivity, and transmissivity) and groundwater quality properties (e g., salinity distribution). This assessment aimed to gain insights into the potentiality of groundwater and the potential risks of groundwater contamination for effective groundwater resource management. We utilized the least-squares method of the IpI2Winv program to invert the calculated apparent resistivity, which was characterized by a dynamic range for smoothening and correcting outliers. The subsurface was divided into rectangular blocks, and the application automatically generated a 2D model. To reduce the discrepancy between the measured and computed apparent resistivity values, we repeatedly modified the resistivity of the blocks through computer iteration. This iterative process aimed to minimize errors and increase the goodness of fit. The relationship between the model response and the VES points' field data was frequently less than 8%. The comprehensive analysis of aquifer geohydraulic properties and groundwater salinity distribution provides valuable insights for groundwater resource management. In summary, this study will aid in developing a plan for drilling new productive wells to ensure drinking water, irrigation, and long-term plantation sustainability in the region and other areas within the Indus Plain, Pakistan.

Published in Hydrology (Volume 11, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12
Page(s) 33-42
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), Aquifer Geohydraulic Properties, Groundwater Potential, Groundwater Salinity, Groundwater Resource Management, Indus Plain

References
[1] Hubbard, S. S. and Y. Rubin, Hydrogeological parameter estimation using geophysical data: a review of selected techniques. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 2000. 45 (1-2): p. 3-34.
[2] Khalid, P., S. Ullah, and A. Farid, Application of electrical resistivity inversion to delineate salt and freshwater interfaces in quaternary sediments of northwest Himalaya, Pakistan. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2018. 11: p. 1-11.
[3] George, N. J., Integrating hydrogeological and second-order geo-electric indices in groundwater vulnerability mapping: A case study of alluvial environments. Applied Water Science, 2021. 11 (7): p. 123.
[4] Khalid, P., et al., Estimating active storage of groundwater quality zones in alluvial deposits of Faisalabad area, Rechna Doab, Pakistan. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2019. 12: p. 1-9.
[5] Hasan, M., et al., Assessment of aquifer vulnerability using integrated geophysical approach in weathered terrains of South China. Open Geosciences, 2019. 11 (1): p. 1129-1150.
[6] Yadav, G. and H. Abolfazli, Geoelectrical soundings and their relationship to hydraulic parameters in semiarid regions of Jalore, northwestern India. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 1998. 39 (1): p. 35-51.
[7] Abdulrazzaq, Z. T., R. H. Hasan, and N. A. Aziz, Integrated TRMM data and standardized precipitation index to monitor the meteorological drought. Civil Engineering Journal, 2019. 5 (7): p. 1590-1598.
[8] Aziz, A., et al., Biological wastewater treatment (anaerobic-aerobic) technologies for safe discharge of treated slaughterhouse and meat processing wastewater. Science of the total environment, 2019. 686: p. 681-708.
[9] Srivastava, P., et al., Soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plains: a pedogenic response to landscape stability, climatic variability and anthropogenic activity during the Holocene. Earth-Science Reviews, 2015. 140: p. 54-71.
[10] Irfan, M., et al., Vulnerability of environmental resources in Indus Basin after the development of irrigation system. Irrigation-water productivity and operation, sustainability and climate change, 2019.
[11] Muhammad, S., et al., Hydrogeophysical modeling and physio-chemical analysis of quaternary aquifer in central part of Bari Doab, Punjab, Pakistan. Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 2022: p. 1-17.
[12] Loke, M. and R. Barker, Practical techniques for 3D resistivity surveys and data inversion1. Geophysical prospecting, 1996. 44 (3): p. 499-523. 27.
[13] Archie, G. E., The electrical resistivity log as an aid in determining some reservoir characteristics. Transactions of the AIME, 1942. 146 (01): p. 54-62.
[14] Winsauer, W. O., et al., Resistivity of brine-saturated sands in relation to pore geometry. AAPG bulletin, 1952. 36 (2): p. 253-277.
[15] Aweto, K., Resistivity methods in hydro-geophysical investigation for groundwater in Aghalokpe, Western Niger Delta. Global Journal of Geological Sciences, 2013. 11: p. 47-55. 31.
[16] Singh, A., Thomsen, K. J., Sinha, R., Buylaert, J. P., Carter, A., Mark, D. F., Mason, P. J., Densmore, A. L., Murray, A. S., Jain, M. and Paul, D., 2017. Counter-intuitive influence of Himalayan river morphodynamics on Indus Civilisation urban settlements. Nature communications, 8 (1), p. 1617.
[17] Qureshi, A. S., McCornick, P. G., Sarwar, A. and Sharma, B. R., 2010. Challenges and prospects of sustainable groundwater management in the Indus Basin, Pakistan. Water resources management, 24 (8), pp. 1551-1569.
[18] Van Steenbergen, F., Basharat, M. and Lashari, B. K., 2015. Key challenges and opportunities for conjunctive management of surface and groundwater in mega-irrigation systems: Lower Indus, Pakistan. Resources, 4 (4), pp. 831-856.
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    Inayat Ur Rahman, Cui Yian, Shafqat Hussain, Akbar Ali, Mustafa Qasim, et al. (2023). Geophysical Prospecting of Aquifer Hydrogeological Properties: Implications for Groundwater Resource Management in Parts of Indus Plain, Pakistan. Hydrology, 11(2), 33-42. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12

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    Inayat Ur Rahman; Cui Yian; Shafqat Hussain; Akbar Ali; Mustafa Qasim, et al. Geophysical Prospecting of Aquifer Hydrogeological Properties: Implications for Groundwater Resource Management in Parts of Indus Plain, Pakistan. Hydrology. 2023, 11(2), 33-42. doi: 10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12

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    AMA Style

    Inayat Ur Rahman, Cui Yian, Shafqat Hussain, Akbar Ali, Mustafa Qasim, et al. Geophysical Prospecting of Aquifer Hydrogeological Properties: Implications for Groundwater Resource Management in Parts of Indus Plain, Pakistan. Hydrology. 2023;11(2):33-42. doi: 10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12,
      author = {Inayat Ur Rahman and Cui Yian and Shafqat Hussain and Akbar Ali and Mustafa Qasim and Idrees Khan and Musa Khan},
      title = {Geophysical Prospecting of Aquifer Hydrogeological Properties: Implications for Groundwater Resource Management in Parts of Indus Plain, Pakistan},
      journal = {Hydrology},
      volume = {11},
      number = {2},
      pages = {33-42},
      doi = {10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hyd.20231102.12},
      abstract = {Groundwater resource management is globally essential for sustainable development, as approximately 30% of Earth's total freshwater is accessible as groundwater. Additionally, the sustainability of groundwater resources in northeast Punjab province, Pakistan, is under threat due to several processes, including overexploitation, increasing pollution, and anthropogenic activities in the current Anthropocene era. Addressing this problem requires continuous hydrogeological exploration. Thus, extensive and adequate hydrogeological exploration is necessary to identify underlying geological layers, the aquifer layer, and aquifer hydrogeological properties. In this study, we conducted the resistivity technique, specifically vertical electrical sounding (VES), in conjunction with borehole lithological logs. The objective was to delineate the variations in depth, thickness, and resistivity of the underlying hydrogeological layers, as well as to evaluate the aquifer geohydraulic properties (e. g., depth, thickness, apparent resistivity, transverse resistance, longitudinal conductance, hydraulic conductivity, and transmissivity) and groundwater quality properties (e g., salinity distribution). This assessment aimed to gain insights into the potentiality of groundwater and the potential risks of groundwater contamination for effective groundwater resource management. We utilized the least-squares method of the IpI2Winv program to invert the calculated apparent resistivity, which was characterized by a dynamic range for smoothening and correcting outliers. The subsurface was divided into rectangular blocks, and the application automatically generated a 2D model. To reduce the discrepancy between the measured and computed apparent resistivity values, we repeatedly modified the resistivity of the blocks through computer iteration. This iterative process aimed to minimize errors and increase the goodness of fit. The relationship between the model response and the VES points' field data was frequently less than 8%. The comprehensive analysis of aquifer geohydraulic properties and groundwater salinity distribution provides valuable insights for groundwater resource management. In summary, this study will aid in developing a plan for drilling new productive wells to ensure drinking water, irrigation, and long-term plantation sustainability in the region and other areas within the Indus Plain, Pakistan.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Geophysical Prospecting of Aquifer Hydrogeological Properties: Implications for Groundwater Resource Management in Parts of Indus Plain, Pakistan
    AU  - Inayat Ur Rahman
    AU  - Cui Yian
    AU  - Shafqat Hussain
    AU  - Akbar Ali
    AU  - Mustafa Qasim
    AU  - Idrees Khan
    AU  - Musa Khan
    Y1  - 2023/07/24
    PY  - 2023
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12
    T2  - Hydrology
    JF  - Hydrology
    JO  - Hydrology
    SP  - 33
    EP  - 42
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7617
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hyd.20231102.12
    AB  - Groundwater resource management is globally essential for sustainable development, as approximately 30% of Earth's total freshwater is accessible as groundwater. Additionally, the sustainability of groundwater resources in northeast Punjab province, Pakistan, is under threat due to several processes, including overexploitation, increasing pollution, and anthropogenic activities in the current Anthropocene era. Addressing this problem requires continuous hydrogeological exploration. Thus, extensive and adequate hydrogeological exploration is necessary to identify underlying geological layers, the aquifer layer, and aquifer hydrogeological properties. In this study, we conducted the resistivity technique, specifically vertical electrical sounding (VES), in conjunction with borehole lithological logs. The objective was to delineate the variations in depth, thickness, and resistivity of the underlying hydrogeological layers, as well as to evaluate the aquifer geohydraulic properties (e. g., depth, thickness, apparent resistivity, transverse resistance, longitudinal conductance, hydraulic conductivity, and transmissivity) and groundwater quality properties (e g., salinity distribution). This assessment aimed to gain insights into the potentiality of groundwater and the potential risks of groundwater contamination for effective groundwater resource management. We utilized the least-squares method of the IpI2Winv program to invert the calculated apparent resistivity, which was characterized by a dynamic range for smoothening and correcting outliers. The subsurface was divided into rectangular blocks, and the application automatically generated a 2D model. To reduce the discrepancy between the measured and computed apparent resistivity values, we repeatedly modified the resistivity of the blocks through computer iteration. This iterative process aimed to minimize errors and increase the goodness of fit. The relationship between the model response and the VES points' field data was frequently less than 8%. The comprehensive analysis of aquifer geohydraulic properties and groundwater salinity distribution provides valuable insights for groundwater resource management. In summary, this study will aid in developing a plan for drilling new productive wells to ensure drinking water, irrigation, and long-term plantation sustainability in the region and other areas within the Indus Plain, Pakistan.
    VL  - 11
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha, China

  • School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha, China

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Co. Ltd. (KPOGCL), Peshawer, Pakistan

  • National Centre of Excellence in Geology (NCEG), University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

  • Department of Geology, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, Pakistan

  • School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha, China

  • Department of Geology, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, Pakistan

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