HYDROGEOPHYSICAL STUDY ON THE GROUNDWATER OCCURRENCE IN THE MIDDLE PART OF EL-QAA PLAIN, WEST SINAI, EGYPT

Abstract

The present work is an attempt to evaluate the groundwater potentiality of the Quaternary aquifer in the middle part of El-Qaa plain, which lies parallel to the Gulf of Suez in the western part of Sinai Peninsula. The importance of El-Qaa plain lies in the fact that it is one of the most promising areas in Sinai Peninsula for integrated development due to its even surface, easy access, presence of groundwater resources and strategic location. The main objective of the present study is to recognize in detail the characterstics of the Quaternary aquifer. This is important because most of the previous studies carried out in the area was on a regional scale for the whole area of El-Qaa plain which is much larger than the area studied here. Besides, these studies were not as integrated as is regarded here. To fulfil this objective, a geoelectrical survey was carried out in the area to reveal the subsurface succession including the water-bearing formation, define the aquifer geometry (depth, thickness and extension) and determine the approximate water quality in the different parts of the aquifer. The Transverse Unit Resistance and Average Transverse resistivity were correlated with the two corresponding hydraulic parameters; namely the aquifer Transmissivity and Hydraulic conductivity calculated from pumping test data. Chemical analysis were applied to water samples obtained from several wells in the area to determined the water salinity, hardness, and type, concentrations of the different chemical elements and suitability of water for different purposes. Comparison was made between the distribution of the water quality as concluded from the actual chemical analysis and that concluded from the geoelectrical survey.