Mapping of groundwater prospective zones using remote sensing and GIS techniques: A case study from the Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

With the increasing demands for water due to increasing population, urbanization and agricultural expansion, groundwater resources are gaining much attention, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study is based on determining the most important contributing parameters that indicate the groundwater potential such as slope, stream networks, lineaments, lithology and topography. Thematic map of each parameter was produced using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing data (RS) techniques. These input layers were combined using the Raster Calculate Module of GIS to produce the final groundwater prospective zones of the investigated area. The final output map shows different zones of groundwater prospective potential, viz., very good (12.79%), good (26.95%), moderate (33.05%) and low (27.21%). The Wadi fillings and the Quaternary deposits, in addition to the fractured Precambrian basement rocks were identified as very good to good prospecting zones. Moreover, the thick fluvial deposits of old drainage which received much surface water in the past pluvial periods still store the "fossil" groundwater. Areas of steeply sloping hilly terrains of limestone and younger hard rocks were recognized to have moderate to low groundwater potentiality. Based on the chemical analysis, the groundwater in the study area is mostly not suitable for drinking purposes but it can be used for irrigation under special conditions. The overall results demonstrate that the use of remote sensing and GIS techniques provide powerful tools for groundwater development and the design of a suitable exploration plan. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.