Ain Shams University Irrigation and Hydraulics Department

Faculty of Engineering Groundwater Hydrology

Lectures 3 & 4
Artificial Recharge and
Groundwater Exploration
By:
Prof. Ahmed Ali A. Hassan
Dr. Peter Hany Sobhy Riad
 Syllabus
Hydrologic cycle and water resources in
Egypt
Soil- water relationships and Occurrence of groundwater

Groundwater balance and Artificial recharge

Groundwater exploration methods

Ground water flow [(1-D and 2-D) and (radial flow towards wells)]

Special cases of radial flow

Design of tube wells
Construction and maintenance of tube well

Pumping tests and well evaluation

groundwater software
 Contents
• Aquifers types and Artificial Recharge of GW.
• Aquifer parameters.
• Groundwater Exploration and sites selection
for wells.
Aquifers types and Artificial Recharge
of Groundwater
Aquifers types
Groundwater artificial recharge advantages
• Storing water underground
• Less evaporation
• Natural water purification by the soil
• Salt water intrusion retention
• Reduction of land subsidence
• Cost saving
Groundwater artificial recharge (Bouwer H. 2004)
 Groundwater recharge techniques

Source: Guidelines for Water Reuse, September 2004, Washington, USA,

Artificial recharge of groundwater in Germany
About 16% of the drinking water in Germany is provided by
riverbank filtration and ponded infiltration (Kühn et al., 2000).

Grasdorf Wasserwerk in Laatzen, Hannover

Artificial Recharge in Lea Valley in North London

http://www.groundwateruk.org/Image-Gallery.aspx
 Aquifer parameters
(porosity, permeabilty, transmissivity,
and storativity)
Pores and Porosity
Pores: The spaces between particles within
geological material (rock or sediment)
occupied by water and/or air.

Porosity: is defined as the

ratio of the volume of voids
to the volume of aquifer
material. It refers to the
degree to which the aquifer
material possesses pores or
cavities which contain air or
water.
Specific yield Specific retention
-Water that will drain under -Water that is retained as a film on rock surfaces
the influence of gravity and in very small openings. The physical forces that
control specific retention are the same forces
Vd involved in the thickness and moisture content of
Sy =
Vt capillary fringe Vr
Sr =
Vt
Permeability
Water transmitting parameter
Permeability or
Hydraulic Conductivity

kρg kg
K= =
µ ν

v
Mean pore velocity:vp =
ne
Water transmitting
Parameter….contd.
.

Validity of DARCY‘s law

Darcy's law is only

valid for slow flow,
Rn < 1
0.4 to 10.0

K and d in mm
 Permeability in the field
Time method:
1. Isotopes
2. Tracers
3. Signals

Disadvantages:
1. If soil is not homogenious, K changes (not accurate).
2. Injected material affects µ, consequently K.
Transmissivity
Water transmitting
T = Kb Parameter….contd.
Storage parameter
Unconfined aquifer
Specific yield
-Water that will drain
under the influence
of gravity

Storativity (S ) ≈ S y =
Vd
Vt
Confined aquifer
Storage coefficient/storativity
-Water that is released or taken
into storage per unit surface area S = Ss b + S y Ss = ρg(nβ + α)
of aquifer per unit change in head
α = bulk modulus of compression of matrix
β= bulk modulus of compression of water
b = The thickness of the aquifer
Storativity or the storage coefficient [-] is
the volume of water released from storage
per unit decline in hydraulic head in the
aquifer, per unit area of the aquifer.

Specific storage or specific storativity [L-1] is

the volume of water that an aquifer releases
from storage, per unit decline in hydraulic head,
per volume of aquifer.
Groundwater Exploration and sites
selection for wells
1. 1 Exploration of groundwater

Objective:
To locate aquifers capable of yielding water of suitable
quality, in economic quantities, for drinking, irrigation,
agricultural and industrial purposes, by employing, as
required, geological, geophysical, drilling and other
techniques.
 Groundwater exploration
Exploration of Groundwater
1.1.1 Surface exploration

- “non-invasive" ways to map the

subsurface.
-less costly than subsurface
investigations

1. Geologic methods
2. Remote Sensing
3. Surface Geophysical Methods
(a) Electric Resistivity
Method
(b) Seismic Refraction
Method
(c) Seismic Reflection
Method
(d) Gravimetric Method
(e) Magnetic Method
(f) Electromagnetic Method
 Groundwater exploration
Exploration of Groundwater
1.1.2 Subsurface exploration

1. Test drilling
geologic log
drilling time log
Water level measurement
2. Geophysical logging/borehole
geophysics
Resistivity logging
Spontaneous potential logging
Radiation logging
Temperature logging
Caliper Logging
Fluid Conductivity logging
Fluid velocity logging
3. Tracer tests
and others
Exploration of Groundwater Groundwater exploration

1. Surface exploration 2. Subsurface exploration

- “non-invasive" ways to map the 1. Test drilling

subsurface. geologic log
-less costly than subsurface drilling time log
investigations Water level measurement
2. Geophysical logging/borehole
1. Geologic methods geophysics
2. Remote Sensing Resistivity logging
3. Surface Geophysical Methods Spontaneous potential logging
(a) Electric Resistivity Radiation logging
(b) Seismic Refraction Temperature logging
(d) Gravimetric Method Caliper Logging
(e) Magnetic Method Fluid Conductivity logging
(f) Electromagnetic Method Fluid velocity logging
(g) Ground Penetrating Radar 3. Tracer tests
 Groundwater withdrawal
Groundwater exploration
1.1. Geologic Methods Geologic methods

- an important first step in any groundwater investigation

- involves collection, analysis and hydrogeologic interpretation

of existing geologic data/maps, topographic maps, aerial
photographs and other pertinent records.

- should be supplemented, when possible, by geologic field

reconnaissance and by evaluation of available hydrologic
data on stream flow and springs, well yields, groundwater
recharge and discharge, groundwater levels and quality.

- nature and thickness of overlying beds as well as the dip of

water bearing formations will enable estimates of drilling
depths to be made.
 exploration
Groundwater withdrawal
Relationship between Geologic methods
Groundwater exploration
geology and groundwater Geologic methods

• The type of rock formation will suggest the magnitude of water yield
to be expected.

• it is the perviousness or permeability and not porosity which is

significant in water yielding capacity of rocks.

• Igneous rocks have a porosity of 1% and may yield all water while
some clays have a pososity as high as 50% but are practically
impervious.

• Porosity = f (grainsize, shape, grading, sorting, amount and

distribution of cementing materials)

• Permeability = f (interconnectedness, fissures, joints, bedding planes,

faults, shear zones and cleavages, vesicles )
 Groundwater exploration
1.2 Remote sensing Remote sensing

Source A physical quantity

(screen) (light/radiation)

Processor Sensor
signal
(records (eyes)
data and
interprets
information)
 Groundwater exploration
Remote sensing

RS applications
♦forest cover mapping
and monitoring;
♦land use and land cover
mapping;
♦ mapping of water
resources;
♦Others: agriculture;
fisheries; coastal zone;
marine environment.
 Identify data needs
Land cover Dense Cover Conifers

Medium Cover Conifers

Closed Scrub

Open Scrub

Grassland

Croplands

Rock / Bare soil

Stream beds / concrete

 • GRACE, twin
satellites launched
in March 2002, are
making detailed
measurements of
Earth's gravity
field.

• combined data
from the twin
satellites of the
Gravity Recovery
and Climate
(GRACE) with
ground-based
measurements
leads to the
relative amount of
water stored near
the surface and
underground
http://www.aquaticinformatics.com/blog/groundwater-from-space/
http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GRACEGroundwater/
 Groundwater exploration
Remote sensing

Advantages of remote sensing technique in general:

- speed of operation
- survey of inaccessible areas
- possibility of repetitive coverage of changing landform, land use,
vegetal cover, water spread in reservoirs, soil salinity, water logged
areas, etc.
- permits mapping and preliminary evaluation at lesser cost.
“The remote sensing technique is only an additional tool in the quest
of groundwater and not a substitute for other methods. For a
meaningful interpretation, there should be adequate ground check in
the field”.
 Groundwater withdrawal
Groundwater exploration
1.3. Surface Geophysical Surface geophysical methods

- scientific measurement of physical properties and

parameters of the earth’s subsurface formations and
contained fluids by instruments located on the
surface for investigation of mineral deposits or
geologic structure.

-provide only indirect indication of groundwater

-success depends on how best the physical

parameters are interpreted in terms of
hydrogeological language.

- Accurate interpretation requires supplemental data

from subsurface investigations to substantiate
surface findings.
1.3 (a) Electric Resistivity Method Groundwater withdrawal
exploration
Surface geophysical
Groundwater methods
exploration
♦Electrical resistivity is the resistance Electric resistivity
Surface geophysical methods
of a volume of material to the flow of
electrical current.

♦ current is introduced into the

ground through a pair of current
electrodes

♦ resulting potential difference is

measured between another pair of
potential electrodes

♦ Apparent resistivity is then

calculated as:
V
ρ a = 2πa
I
V is the measured Potential difference (in Volts)
and I is the current introduced (in Amperes).
1.3 (a) Electric Resistivity Method Groundwater exploration
Surface geophysical methods
Electric resistivity

Wenner arrangement

V
ρ a = 2πa
I
 Groundwater exploration
Surface geophysical methods
Electric resistivity
•Vertical electrical Sounding (VES)
Changing the spacing of electrodes
changes the depth of penetration of the
current. So it is possible to obtain field
curve of apparent resistivity vs depth.
For a single homogeneous, isotropic layer of
infinite thickness, resistivity curve will be a straight
line.

True/actual resistivity - if formation

is homogeneous and isotropic.
Apparent resistivity
if formation is anisotropic consisting
of two or more layers of different
materials.
Selection of site for a well
Factors to be considered are:

(i) Topography: Valley regions are more favorable than the slopes and
the top of the hillocks.

(ii) Climate (annual rainfall, sunlight intensity, max. temperature, humidity):

heavy to moderate rainfall -- more deep percolation – good aquifer.

Intense summer weather -- evaporates and depletes GW through direct
evaporation from shallow depths and
evapotranspiration through plants.
Selection of site for a well Groundwater exploration
Geologic methods

(iii) Vegetation: can flourish where GW is available at shallow depths.

Phreatophytes, plants that draw the required water directly from the
zone of saturation indicate large storage of groundwater at shallow
Selection of site for a well Groundwater exploration
Geologic methods

(iv) Geology of the area: thick soil or alluvium cover, highly

weathered, fractured, jointed or sheared and porous rocks indicate
good storage of groundwater, whereas massive igneous and
metamorphic rocks or impermeable shales indicate paucity of
groundwater.

(v) Porosity, permeability: highly porous, permeable zones of

dense rocks encourage storage of groundwater. Massive rocks do
not permit the water to sink.

(vi) Joints and faults in rocks: Wells sunk into rocks with
interconnected joints, fractures, fissures and cracks yield copious
supply of water.

(vii) Proximity of rivers: Streams and rivers serve as sources of

recharge and water is stored in the pervious layers.
Thank you for the Attention

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