The use of electromagnetic and vertical electrical sounding methods in groundwater exploration

Year 2019, Volume: 158 Issue: 158, 327 - 344, 25.04.2019

Hafiz Mohammed Nazıfı , Levent Gülen

https://doi.org/10.19111/bulletinofmre.451557

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Electromagnetic (EM)
profiling and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) studies were carried out for groundwater
exploration in the Twifo – Hemang Lower Denkyira Districts of Ghana. These two geophysical
methods were used for exploring the groundwater potentials beneath Achiase, Mbaa
Mpe Hia Community and Moseaso Community. This paper seeks to encourage the use of
inversion for interpreting electromagnetic data rather than the usual
qualitative interpretation method using line graphs and also the use of apparent
resistivity maps as 2D pseudo resistivity maps to support interpretations of the
1D inversion results (in cases where the available budget could not permit 2D and
or 3D inversion). These would help in enhancement of obtained results, reduce ambiguity
and help decision making. The EM results revealed that; the three communities are
underlain by two layers with the first layer having the thickness range between
2 to 10 m and the second layer is a half space. The results from VES studies indicate
that; Achiase Community and Mbaa Mpe Hia No. 2 community are underlain by three
geoelectrical layers and Moseaso Community is underlain by four geoelectrical layers.
On the basis of this study the Moseaso Community is ranked highest in terms of groundwater
potential followed by the Achiase community and finally the Mbaa Mpe Hia No.2 Community.
Several sites were recommended for drilling boreholes for water supply in these
communities.

 

Keywords

2D pseudo resistivity maps, electromagnetic (EM) inversion, vertical electrical sounding (VES), groundwater exploration, Ghana

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