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Groundwater demand has dramatically increased due to the swift demographic explosion, especially in arid areas, where groundwater is considered the main source for all purposes. Thus, this research integrates climatological, lithological, structural, topographical, hydro-morphological, and geoelectrical data to explore groundwater potential zones i...
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... The existence of basement rocks influences groundwater flow and make it difficult to characterize, serving as a challenge to water resources assessment. To overcome this, lithological mapping provides insight into the water aquifer properties, fracture networks, and subtle variations information which become crucial for assessment [36] . There are other challenges faced with engineering construction as well as natural hazard assessment with unpredictable nature of basement rocks so that lithological information helps to solve, by providing information of fault zones, unstable rock formations, potential areas that are prone to seismic activity. ...
Lithological mapping in semi-arid regions has witnessed a phase of transformation due to advancement in remote
sensing technology. This has permitted a more comprehensive understanding of surface lithological units. This review
explores the evolution of remote sensing mapping techniques and their diverse uses at semi-arid regions, underscoring
the significance of the mapping procedure and the prospects. Remote sensing technology has been advancing with
moderate to high resolution spaceborne and airborne sensors, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and LiDAR
(light detection and ranging). These have significantly enhanced capacity, accuracy and the scope of lithological
mapping procedures. Especially, the advancement of machine learning and Artificial Intelligent (AI) in automated
remote sensing data analysis has ignited more precise ways of identifying and classification of lithological units. Using
hybrid remote sensing/machine learning mapping techniques has extended the horizon of geological studies where
mineral exploration, water resource management, land use planning, environmental assessments, and risk mitigation
are particularly considered. The maps derived provide deeper insights into accurate delineation of mineral deposits,
identification of potential sources of water, and aiding those making informed decision making for land development
and resource management. The importance of hybrid remote sensing/ machine learning techniques lies with the
profound contributions made through geological history, resource exploration, environmental preservation, and risk
management directed to fragile ecosystems such as semi-arid environments. The future of the hybrid methodologies
holds promise for further advancements in integrating various data sources, exploitation of their contextual properties,
refining AI algorithms for faster and more accurate analysis, and methodologies that are specific to environments.
These evolving technologies and diverse applications present a trajectory targeted at more comprehensive utilization
of geological resources and improvement of environmental stewardship even to fragile regions.
... In North Africa, the Precambrian basement rocks are part of the Arabian Nubian Shield (Said 1990;Hamimi et al. 2022), covering approximately 100,000 square kilometers of the total exposed rocks in Egypt (Fig. 1a, b). Evaluating groundwater potential in data-scarce Egypt remains the most challenging hydrogeological task, especially with a growing population (Chilton and Foster 1995;Ahmed and Abdelmohsen 2018;El-Rayes et al. 2020;Shebl et al. 2022). ...
Egypt is grappling with water scarcity challenges, which are exacerbated by extensive urban development in arid coastal regions with rugged terrain. Although desalinated water is an alternative source in the remote Halayeib region of Southeast Egypt, its cost increases reliance on groundwater from the intricate aquifers. This study aims to accurately delineate hydrostructural features, known as lineaments, and assess their impact on the groundwater conditions in this promising region. This integrated approach involves the assessment of various spaceborne sensors, including optical (Landsat 8), Digital Elevation Models (ALOS and ASTER-DEMs), and radar (Sentinel-1), using geospatial and geostatistical techniques within the Geographic Information System (GIS). Radar-based sensors, particularly the Sentinel-1A vertical–vertical (S1A VV) polarization, outperform all other datasets in extracting lineaments, yielding 4883 lineaments that correspond to the regional geological faults. These lineaments trend in NE–SW, NNE–SSW, NW–SE, and E-W directions. The results also indicated that both digital elevation models (DEMs) were less effective, showing different orientations with azimuth angles. S1A VV proved to be highly effective in identifying subsurface fractured hard rock terrains beneath thin sedimentary covers, especially in the flat coastal area of Wadi Serimatai, where they intersected natural drainage pathways. Geoelectrical sections confirmed that there are orthogonal subsurface faults extending from fractured basement aquifers to near-surface layers. These faults align with the NE-SW and NNE-SSW directions observed in S1A VV lineaments. Geostatistical analysis revealed that S1A VV structural lineaments, lithological, and hydrogeological factors influence the occurrence of groundwater. This emphasizes the structural control over groundwater and its significant impact on water flow and storage. The study provides valuable insights for groundwater management, guiding decisions related to the development of groundwater resources.
... Such a multidimensional approach incorporates many scientific techniques to understand the intricate interaction of geological, hydrological, and environmental elements that influence groundwater occurrence. This can be achieved by using modern geospatial tools, geological mapping, and hydrological modeling (Kumar et al., 2022;Mohamed et al., 2023;Shebl et al., 2022). Through this procedure, the examination of lithological properties, land use patterns, and topographical features is entailed, along with the study of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) data (Kulandaisamy et al., 2020;Vellaikannu et al., 2021). ...
... Among many structured techniques of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) to determine the parameter weightage are the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), artificial neural network (ANN), and fuzzy logic. The AHP is a widely used and reliable method for assigning weights to several criteria in spatial decision-making, particularly in groundwater studies (Vellaikannu et al., 2021;Shebl et al., 2022). It comprises a pairwise comparison method in which each criterion is given a numerical score with respect to other criteria, followed by a valid consistency check by using the following equations (Saaty, 1980;Saaty, 2008): ...
... The water sources that recharge the Nubian sandstone aquifer (NSA) in Sinai are rainfalls and flash floods at high altitudes in the mountains in the south of Sinai, with regions with high topography and characterized by densely populated areas rain throughout most days of the year. The rainfall distribution varies spatially across the area, hence affecting the groundwater recharge within the area (Shebl et al 2022;Araffa et al 2022;El-Badrawy et al. 2021). For exploring groundwater potentiality, geophysical methods such as geoelectric, magnetic, and gravity are important (Telford et al. 1995;Zohdy et al. 1974;Nabighian and Macnae 1991). ...
The Nubian sandstone aquifer (NSA) is defined by using 19 vertical electrical sounding (VES) stations, 201 gravity stations, which define the structures that control the configuration of the NSA, and 183 land magnetic stations, which define the lower surface of the NSA by determining the depth of the basement surface. In order to assess the top of the NSA, we collected and analyzed 19 deep VESes. The upper surface depth of the NSA spans from 707 to 1154 m, according to the interpretation results for various geophysical data. Additionally, the aquifer’s resistivities ranged from 30.2 to 477 Ω m, which indicates good groundwater quality. According to the interpretation of the gravity result, the study region is influenced by many structural characteristics of different trends, including northwest–southeast, northeast–southwest, and east–west trends. The upper surface depth of crystalline rocks (also known as basement rocks) is determined by three-dimensional magnetic modeling to range between 967 and 4122 m.
... To evaluate the groundwater potential of a region and enhance drilling success, researchers around the world use remote sensing and GIS techniques that are time-and cost-effective [8,9,[11][12][13][14]. Groundwater potential can be inferred from many groundwater recharge influencing factors such as lineament density, land cover, land use, drainage density, vegetation, aspect, rainfall, soil type, e.t.c., depending on regional peculiarities [12,[15][16][17][18]. These factors are classified and weighted using multi-influencing factors (MIF) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods [8,12,19]. ...
... The five thematic maps that were integrated to generate the GWPZ map have different degrees of influence on aquifer recharge and thus groundwater occurrence and distribution potential, as demonstrated in similar studies [10,11,15,40]. The weighted thematic maps have a consistency ratio of 1.4% (0.014) (see Table 2), implying the reasoning of the AHP is consistent [15,18], and the GWPZ map is reliable. The influencing attributes under lithology, slope, lineament density, drainage density, and land use have varied groundwater potentials classified as very poor to very good ( Table 4). ...
In complex hard rock terrain where the population suffers from water scarcity, the use of site-specific single-method surface geophysical surveys to prospect for groundwater is a common practise. However, this has not completely solved the problem of drilling dry wells. To combat this failure, geospatial data and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) are being used as supporting techniques to increase the chance of success. This study had the aim of generating a groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) map of the complex strato-volcanic terrain of Buea by integrating geospatial techniques, AHP, and the seismoelectric method. Five factors influencing groundwater recharge were used to define the groundwater potential zones. Via the AHP and weighted overlay methods, five classes of groundwater potential zones were delineated: very poor, poor, moderate, good, and very good. More than half of the study area has good to very good groundwater potential. Lastly, the GWPZ model is validated with an iso-conductivity map from a seismoelectric survey and existing static water level data. The iso-conductivity map revealed four main conductivity zones that correlate positively with the GWPZ map. The northwestern part of the study area is characterised by moderate groundwater potential, poor formation conductivity, and dry boreholes. There is an uneven distribution of groundwater and variable water table depth in the area. The results of this study are very encouraging, and the integrated approach used has proven to be efficient in determining groundwater potential zones in complex volcanic terrain.
... This approach is consistent with previous studies that have utilized remote sensing, GIS, and AHP techniques to map groundwater potential zones in arid regions [54]. Similar to the current study, these previous studies have also integrated various thematic layers, such as geology, geomorphology, soil characteristics, drainage density, and rainfall data, to develop groundwater potential maps [55]. ...
... The distribution of groundwater potential zones in the Habawnah Basin, with very low to very high zones covering different percentages of the area, aligns with the spatial variability observed in other studies [23,55]. The accuracy of the groundwater potential map was validated by comparing it with the locations of existing wells in the study area, which is a common approach used in previous research [56]. ...
... This study shares several limitations with previous research, including the exclusion of additional thematic layers that could have improved the accuracy of the results [22,55]. The limited availability of data at the geographic scale and the complexity and heterogeneity of the Habawnah Basin's geology make it difficult to identify consistent patterns in groundwater potential, similar to the challenges faced in other regions. ...
The excessive depletion of groundwater resources and significant climate change have
exerted immense pressure on global groundwater reserves. Owing to the rising global demand
for drinking water, as well as its use in agriculture and industry, there is an increasing need to
evaluate the capacity and effectiveness of underground water reservoirs (aquifers). Recently, GIS
has gained significant attention for groundwater exploration because of its ability to provide rapid
and comprehensive information about resources for further development. This study aims to assess
and map the groundwater potential of a large basin located in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.
Techniques such as GIS and AHP were employed in this study. To perform the delineation for the
groundwater potential zones (GWPZ), seven thematic layers were prepared and analyzed. These
layers include geology, slope, land use, lineament densities, soil characteristics, drainage density,
and rainfall. These variables were carefully considered and examined to identify and categorize
areas based on their respective groundwater potentials. The assigned weights to each class in the
thematic maps were determined using the well-known analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method.
This methodology considered the characteristics of each class and their capacity to influence water
potential. The results’ precision was verified by cross-referencing it with existing information about
the area’s potential for groundwater. The resulting GWPZ map was classified into the following five
categories: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The study revealed that approximately
42.56% of the basin is classified as having a high GWPZ. The low and moderate potential zones cover
36.12% and 19.55% of the area, respectively. Very low and very high potential zones were found only
in a limited number of areas within the basin. This study holds global importance as it addresses
the pressing challenge of depleting groundwater resources. With rising demands for drinking water,
agriculture, and industry worldwide, the effective evaluation and management of underground
water reservoirs are crucial. By utilizing GIS and AHP techniques, this study provides a valuable
assessment and the mapping of groundwater potential in a large basin in southern Saudi Arabia.
Its findings and methodology can serve as a model for other regions, supporting sustainable water
resource management globally
... Each cartographic-matching method supports either a specific data format, e.g., such as ArcGIS shape files [9][10][11] or the tiled format for image processing in remote sensing software [12,13] or a limited set of converted and imported data formats from the multisource data [14][15][16]. Scripting and programming methods also showed their effectiveness in matching tasks and coherence analysis when dealing with topographic and geophysical datasets since they optimise the workflow via smooth, automated and rapid approaches in data processing. ...
The interactions between the geophysical processes and geodynamics of the lithosphere play a crucial role in the geologic structure of the Earth’s crust. The Bangui magnetic anomaly is a notable feature in the lithospheric structure of the Central African Republic (CAR) resulting from a complex tectonic evolution. This study reports on the coherence in the geophysical data and magnetic anomaly field analysed from a series of maps. The data used here include raster grids on free-air altimetric gravity, magnetic EMAG2 maps, geoid EGM2008 model and topographic SRTM/ETOPO1 relief. The data were processed to analyse the correspondence between the geophysical and geologic setting in the CAR region. Histogram equalization of the topographic grids was implemented by partition of the raster grids into equal-area patches of data ranged by the segments with relative highs and lows of the relief. The original data were compared with the equalized, normalized and quadratic models. The scripts used for cartographic data processing are presented and commented. The consistency and equalization of topography, gravity and geoid data were based using GMT modules ‘grdfft’ and ‘grdhisteq’ modules. Using GMT scripts for mapping the geophysical and gravity data over CAR shows an advanced approach to multi-source data visualization to reveal the relationships in the geophysical and topographic processes in central Africa. The results highlighted the correlation between the distribution of rocks with high magnetism in the central part of the Bangui anomaly, and distribution of granites, greenstone belts, and metamorphosed basalts as rock exposure. The correspondence between the negative Bouguer anomaly (<−80 mGal), low geoid values (<−12 m) and the extent of the magnetic anomaly with extreme negative values ranging from −1000 to −200 nT is identified. The integration of the multi-source data provides new insights into the analysis of crustal thicknesses and the average density of the Earth in CAR, as well as the magnitude of the magnetic fields with notable deviations caused by the magnetic flux density in the Bangui area related to the distribution of mineral resources in CAR.
... Geophysical research is necessary and productive in the investigation of shallow groundwater. Several authors investigated geophysical groundwater in Sinai's west-central, south, southeastern, and southwest regions (Nigm et al. 2001;Rabeh 2003;Youssef 2006;Aboelkhair et al. 2020;Basheer and Alezabawy 2020;Zarif et al. 2021;Shebl et al. 2022). Furthermore, near the study area, other studies were conducted by many authors including Youssef (2010Youssef ( , 2016, Ghoneimi et al. (2020), and Zarif et al. (2021). ...
There is an urgent need for greater water resources to support sustainable development in Ras Gara area of southwestern Sinai. Determining the water-bearing zones of the shallow Quaternary aquifer of the Araba Formation in the study region is therefore the main objective of the research. This will be done by using a variety of geophysical techniques, such as DC resistivity sounding and shallow seismic refraction surveys. Using the Schlumberger array (max. AB = 1200 m), the DC data were gathered at 27 VES locations along five primary profiles. At the same locations, 27 spreads totaling 115 m in length of seismic data were also performed. One-dimensional laterally constrained (1D-LCI) inversion is only applied to the DC data in order to generate a best-fit model, whereas 2D inversion is applied to other datasets. The area is divided up into five geo-electrical layers based on the results of 1D-LCI inversion of DC data, and the aquifer is classified into fresh (third layer) and saline bearing-zones (fourth layer). The resistivity values of the fresh-zone range from 8.7 to 26.7 Ω.m, with only low values (5–7.5 Ω.m) found at some VES sites, while the resistivity values of the saline-zone range between 0.9 and 3 Ω.m, except for (14.4 Ω.m) at VES-04. At depths of (2.4–15.6 m) and (8.7–28.5 m) for the fresh and saline zones, respectively. In this region, the shallow low resistive (about 10–100 Ω.m) and intermediate high conductive (< 10 Ω.m) layers of the 2D-DC inverted model represent the fresh and saline zones of the aquifer, respectively. The basement rocks were represented by a deep, extremely high resistive layer that can reach 40,000 Ω.m. Three subsurface layers are identified from the results of the 2D inversion of seismic data (VP1 = 400–1100 m.s⁻¹, VP2 = 1200–1900 m.s⁻¹ and VP3 = 2400–5400 m.s⁻¹). The saturated zone of this aquifer is represented by the second layer (depth, 3.7–20.5 m). The basement rocks are also reflected in the last layer of high velocity. The inversion results and the previously available hydro-geological map data show a good degree of concordance. In the eastern portion of the study area, additional water wells could be drilled for additional water resources.
... The generalizability of the developed hyper-plane is confirmed using a subset of data known as the testing data set (Oommen et al., 2008, Vapnik, 1995. In lithological mapping, SVM was recommended by several previous studies (Maepa et al., 2021;Rodriguez-Galiano et al., 2015;Shabankareh and Hezarkhani, 2017, Shebl et al., 2022Yu et al., 2012), since it has been confirmed to deliver higher classification accuracy than other traditional supervised classification schemes. ...
Albitized granite (ABG) is considered as one of the most significant hosts of rare metals (RMs). Consequently, adequate recognition of ABG through proper lithological discrimination highly increases the targeting of rare metal resources. In order to delineate outcrops of ABG from satellite data, our study integrates eight image enhancement techniques, including optimum index factor, false color composites, band rationing, relative band depth, independent component analysis, principal component analysis, decorrelation stretch, minimum noise fraction transform, and spectral indices ratios, for the interpretation of ASTER and Sentinel-2 (S2) datasets. This integrated approach allows the effective discrimination of AGB outcrops in the Umm Naggat area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt. The interpretation maps derived from these integrated image processing techniques were systematically verified in the field and formed the base for the feature selection process (i.e., training and testing data delineation) of different lithologies supported by the support vector machine algorithm (SVM). In order to produce a high‐quality lithological interpretation map, SVM was applied to Sentinel-2, ASTER, and combined ASTER-S2 datasets. The fused ASTER-S2 classification properly delineates ABG, as verified by our field investigations and confirmed by previous geological maps. Furthermore, comprehensive structural analysis (lineaments extraction and their density map) and hydrothermal alteration detection were performed to check the spatial association between the distribution of ABG, higher density zones, and highly altered areas, that in turn, could shed light on new potentially mineralized zones and proposed exploration targets. Our study reveals new ABG occurrences mainly situated in the southern and southwestern parts of the study area, and it confirms the location of known mineralized zones in the northern part of the Umm Naggat region. The distribution of ABG and its spatial correlation with alteration and high structural density zones suggest that rare‐metal mineralization is mostly structurally controlled (NW, NNW, NNE, and N-S), demonstrating the higher possibility of metasomatic enrichment of rare-metals within the study area. Our study provides an updated geological map of the study area based on the SVM‐supported interpretation of ASTER-S2 data. Importantly, the results reveal a high exploration potential for rare‐metal mineralization at Umm Naggat and defining new anomalies for follow‐up work by geochemical soil surveys.
