HYDROGEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL STUDIES FORTHE EVALUATION OF GROUNDWATER AQUIFER IN WADI EL SAAIDA, IDFU, ASWAN, EGYPT

Abstract

The present work aims to evaluate the groundwater aquifer in Wadi El Saaida area, northwest Idfu, A swan, Egypt, through conducting geophysical, hydrogeological and hydrochemical studies. The area was chosen by the Egyptian Government for a major desert reclamation project called Wadi El Saaida project It lies between latitudes 24' 58 1-25' 101 N, and longitudes 32' 41 1-32' 511 E

The geophysical studies were carried out using the electrical resistivity method that has been performed by applying the vertical electrical sounding technique using Schlumber and Wenner arrays with the terrameter SAS 300 instrument. About twenty four YES' es Schlumberger sounding and nine of Wenner were measured in the study area, distributed along nearly a grid according to the validity of the topographic reliefs. The Wenner soundings were conceded with some of the Schlumberger soundings to maintain the interpretation results, and the collected• data were interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative interpretation of the measured YES curves were completed by applying the manual curve matching method and the computerized one with aiding of some available programs. The interpretation results, presented on maps, profiles and sections, revealed that the study area has two water­ bearing zones. The depth to the first (shallow) water-bearing zone is ranging between 68 and 109 m and increases west and southward, and decreases to reach 4.4 m at the eastern parts of the study area. The second (deep) water-bearing zone was recorded only beneath some YES stations at the south, east and central-west parts in the study area. It is situated at depth ranging between 55 and I 83 meters below the ground level with a thickness ranges from 39 and 63 m. The two water-bearing zones are affected by some faults causing lateral and vertical changes along them.