Determination of groundwater potential distribution in Kulfo-Hare watershed through integration of GIS, remote sensing, and AHP in Southern Ethiopia

Identification of groundwater potential areas(GPA)is important in regions facing surface water scarcity,as it assists in effective planning and utilization of groundwater for various purposes.This study employs the methods of remote sensing(RS),geographic information system(GIS)model,and analytical hierarchy process(AHP),multi-criteria decision analysis(MCDA)to locate and map the prospective groundwater areas in the Kulfo-Hare watershed.Seven significant groundwater influencing factors were selected for the determination of groundwater potential in the area:Geology,land use/land cover(LULC),soil,rainfall,slope,drainage density,and lineament density.By applying a five-class classification scheme(very low,low,moderate,high,and very high),the GIS models were used to define the distribution of groundwater potential areas in terms of area coverage(km^(2)),percentage and mapping.The results show that the groundwater potential(GWP)distribution in the research region is as follows:9.7%(6035.9 ha)classified as very high GWP,29.6%(18606 ha)classified as high,24.5%(15245 ha)classified as moderate,18.1%(11431 ha)as low and 18.1%(11492 ha)very low GWP,on the basis of the weighted overlay evaluation.Although a few regions are identifies as extremely low GWP,most of the study area is characterized by very high to moderate GWP.These findings provide valuable insight for sustainable groundwater planning by the government bodies,decision-makers,and private sectors.

Application of GIS based analytical hierarchy process and multicriteria decision analysis methods to identify groundwater potential zones in Jedeb Watershed, Ethiopia

The hydrogeological situation of the study area requires the identification of groundwater potential.Remote sensing and satellite data have proven to be reliable tools for understanding various factors that affect groundwater occurrence and movement.This study employed weighted overlay analysis based on satellite imagery and secondary data to create a thematic map for characterizing groundwater potentials in the study area located within Abbay Basin,Ethiopia.Remote sensing(RS)and GIS-based Fuzzy-Analytical Hierarchy Process methods were utilized to classify groundwater potential(GWP)zones into five categories:Very good,good,moderate,poor,and very poor.The central and eastern parts of the study area were identified as having high(33.186%)and very high(2.351%)groundwater potentials,while the western part exhibited poor and very poor potential areas.The groundwater potential map delineated higher and moderate potentials,suitable for installing shallow and production bores.This research demonstrates the effectiveness of RS and GIS techniques for delineating groundwater potential zones,which can aid in the planning and management of groundwater resources.The research findings have the potential to contribute to the formulation of improved groundwater management programs in the study area.

Using geospatial technologies to delineate Ground Water Potential Zones(GWPZ)in Mberengwa and Zvishavane District,Zimbabwe

The main objective of the study was to delineate Ground Water Potential Zones(GWPZ)in Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts,Zimbabwe,utilizing geospatial technologies and thematic mapping.Various factors,including geology,soil,rainfall,land use/land cover,drainage density,lineament density,slope,Terrain Ruggedness Index(TRI),and Terrain Wetness Index(TWI),were incorporated as thematic layers.The Multi Influencing Factor(MIF)and Analytical Hierarchical Process(AHP)techniques were employed to assign appropriate weights to these layers based on their relative significance,prioritizing GWPZ mapping.The integration of these weighted layers resulted in the generation of five GWPZ classes:Very high,high,moderate,low,and very low.The MIF method identified 3%of the area as having very high GWPZ,19%as having high GWPZ,40%as having moderate GWPZ,24%as having low GWPZ,and 14%as having very low GWPZ.The AHP method yielded 2%for very high GWPZ,14%for high GWPZ,37%for moderate GWPZ,37%for low GWPZ,and 10%for very low GWPZ.A strong correlation(ρof 0.91)was observed between the MIF results and groundwater yield.The study successfully identified regions with abundant groundwater,providing valuable target areas for groundwater exploitation and highvolume water harvesting initiatives.Accurate identification of these crucial regions is essential for effective decision-making,planning,and management of groundwater resources to alleviate water shortages.

Delineation of groundwater potential zones in Theni district,Tamil Nadu,using remote sensing,GIS and MIF techniques

Integration of remote sensing data and the geographical information system （GIS） for the exploration of groundwater resources has become a breakthrough in the field of groundwater research, which assists in assessing, monitoring, and conserving groundwater resources. In the present paper, various groundwater potential zones for the assessment of groundwater availability in Theni district have been delineated using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Survey of India toposheets and IRS-IC satel- lite imageries are used to prepare various thematic layers viz. lithology, slope, land-use, lineament, drainage, soil, and rainfall were transformed to raster data using feature to raster converter tool in ArcGIS. The raster maps of these factors are allocated a fixed score and weight computed from multi influencing factor （MIF） technique. Moreover, each weighted thematic layer is statistically computed to get the groundwater potential zones. The groundwater potential zones thus obtained were divided into four categories, viz., very poor, poor, good, and very good zones. The result depicts the groundwater potential zones in the study area and found to be helpful in better planning and management of ground- water resonrces.

In search of potential earthquake source regions in the Chinese mainland in the light of ambient shear stress field

Earth media are incomplete media.There exist many cracks in it. The achievements of fracture mechanics showthat the strength of the incomplete materials will be much lower than that of the complete materials. We consider that earthquake occurrence is the result of unstable propagation of a crack in crust media in proper conditionand the earthquake rupture is the phenomenon of a failure by fast fracture under applied low shear stress. It hasalready been explained by fracture mechanics.The occurrence of failure by fast fracture is necessarily associated with the presence of high level concentration of local stress and strain. The elastic/plastic stress analysis in cracked pieces by Dugdale indicates that thestate of stress at the tip of a crack takes a very important role to crack propagation. A plastic zone has necessarilyformed in the tip of a crack due to stress concentration. Therefore, the dislocations st the tip of a crack are naturally a plastic displacement, rather than elastic one. The plastic displacement, where τ0 is appliedshear stress which is equivalent to initial or tectonic shear stress when the quake occurs, a is the half length of acrack, It is the rigidity,τy is the yield stresses in shear. The main seismic dislocations take place exactly at theends of the crack where the plastic zone had been formed. SO, a critical assumption is adopted, i. e. we assumethe dislocation D(1,,t) as formula (5) in text. The maximum earthquake dislocation, whereL is the fault length. If p is taken the value in the upper crust, μ=33 GPa; and τy is taken the average valuegiven from laboratories,τy= 30 MPa. Thus, according to observation values of Dmax and L, using the formula,one can estimate the initial shear stresses for large earthquakes. Computations show that the initial shear stressesfor large earthquakes all over the world are about 5-20 MPa which have some differences between regions.We further research the characteristics of source spectra and have derived the dependent relation of bodywave magnitude mb on the shear stress τ0 and seismic moment M, as formula (11)in text. Thus, the formulaprovides a POssibility of computation of large amount of tectonic shear stress values from seismic data. We consider that the tectonic shear stress field is a main factor which controls the earthquake occurrence. The regions withhigh tectonic shear stress values are considered to be prone to occur great earthquakes (Ms>6) and called earthquake hazard regions. Based on this criterion, τ0 values for all earthquakes with mb≥3. 8 all over China since1987 have been computed, and the great earthquake hazard regions with magnitude ranges have been zoned inthe Chinese mainland.During April 1992 -January 31, 1994, there were 9 Ms≥6 earthquakes which occurred in the Chinesemainland, 8 earthquakes of the 9 had fallen into the regions delineated by us prior to the earthquake occurrence,with only one failure. This new approach as a method for medium--term prediction of strong earthquakes hasbeen proved by practice to be an efficient one.It has good physical bases and bright prospect and worth furtherresearch. Received February 7,1994 1 Accepted February 10, 1995.Contribution No. 95A0061, Institute of Geophysics,SSB, China.

A new methodology for identification of potential pay zones from well logs: Intelligent system establishment and application in the Eastern Junggar Basin, China

In recent years, as the exploration practices extend into more complicated formations, conventional well log interpretation has often shown its inaccuracy and limitations in identifying hydrocarbons. The Permian Wutonggou Formation hosts typical clastic reservoirs in the Eastern Junggar Basin. The sophisticated lithology characteristics cause complex pore structures and fluid properties. These all finally cause low well testing agreement rate using conventional methods. Eleven years＇ recent statistics show that 12 out of 15 water layers have been incorrectly identified as being oil or oil/water layers by conventional well log interpretation. This paper proposes a methodology called intelligent prediction and identification system （IPIS）. Firstly, parameters reflecting lithological, petrophysical and electrical responses which are greatly related to reservoir fluids have been selected carefully. They are shale content （Vsh）, numbered rock type （RN）, porosity （φ）, permeability （K）, true resistivity （RT） and spontaneous-potential （SP）. Secondly, Vsh, φ and K are predicted from well logs through artificial neural networks （ANNs）. Finally, all the six parameters are input into a neuro-fuzzy inference machine （NFIM） to get fluids identification results. Eighteen new layers of 145.3 m effective thickness were examined by IPIS. There is full agreement with well testing results. This shows the system＇s accuracy and effectiveness.

Prediction of Potential Sorghum Suitability Distribution in China Based on Maxent Model

It is increasingly relevant to study the effects of climate change on species habitats. Using a maximum entropy model, 22 environmental factors with significant effects on sorghum habitat distribution in China were selected to predict the potential habitat distribution of sorghum in China. The potential distribution of sorghum under baseline climate conditions and future climate conditions (2050s and 2070s) under two climate change scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, were simulated, and the receiver operating curve under the accuracy of the model was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). The results showed that the maximum entropy model predicted the potential sorghum habitat distribution with high accuracy, with Bio2 (monthly mean diurnal temperature difference), Bio6 (minimum temperature in the coldest month), and Bio13 (rainfall in the wettest month) as the main climatic factors affecting sorghum distribution among the 22 environmental factors. Under the baseline climate conditions, potential sorghum habitats are mainly distributed in the southwest, central, and east China. Over time, the potential sorghum habitat expanded into northern and southern China, with significant additions and negligible decreases in potential sorghum habitat in the study area, and a significant increase in total area, with the RCP8.5 scenario adding much more area than the RCP4.5 scenario.

Mapping of groundwater potential zones in the drought-prone areas of south Madagascar using geospatial techniques

The southern regions of Madagascar have the country’s lowest water supply coverage and are highly vulnerable to drought.Access to potable drinking water is a major challenge for the local population.Chronic droughts lead to annual emergency appeals to save the lives of acute malnourished children.UNICEF’s response consisting in providing potable drinking water through the drilling of boreholes has been challenged by the complex hydrogeology,the low yield of boreholes and high-level salinity of water,the lack of reliable groundwater data and the weak capacity of the drilling sector.These constraints result in a high rate of drilling failure.To improve drilling success and provide more potable drinking water to local communities,it is vital to undertake reliable groundwater investigation.UNICEF Madagascar and the European Union delegation in Madagascar collaborated on the use of satellite imagery to improve sector knowledge and access to safe and clean water for local communities in southern Madagascar.The methodology relies on produce thematic layers of groundwater potential areas.Later,these thematic layers were overlaid with ground-based hydrogeological data to map the groundwater potential zones(GWP) and identify the most suitable sites for borehole siting and drilling.Findings of this study are very encouraging,and the integrated approach used has proven its applicability in mapping groundwater potential areas in the eight drought-affected areas of south Madagascar.The groundwater potential zone map is being used by UNICEF and partners to plan water supply projects and identify the best sites for positioning new boreholes and reduce the likelihood of drilling failure.Additionally,the project developed a database of groundwater resources,which will improve knowledge of the regional hydrogeological context and strengthen the capacity of the water sector.Lessons learnt from this study show that an integration of the groundwater potential zone map with demographics and water demand information will help identifying priority areas for detailed studies.Moreover,a capacity building activity is required for knowledge/technology transfer to the Ministry of Energy,Water and Hydrocarbons(MEEH),allowing the possibility of scaling-up this integrated approach to the rest of Madagascar.Finally,strengthening the capacity of the MEEH and refining this approach as suggested above will certainly help in the pursuit to improve equitable access to safe and clean water for households located in the drought-affected areas of southern Madagascar,allowing them to be more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Integration of geoelectric and hydrochemical approaches for delineation of groundwater potential zones in alluvial aquifer

Geoelectric and hydrochemical approaches are employed to delineate the groundwater potential zones in District Okara,a part of Bari Doab,Punjab,Pakistan.Sixty-seven VES surveys are conducted with the Electrical Resistivity Meter.The resultant resistivity verses depth model for each site is estimated using computer-based software IX1D.Aquifer thickness maps and interpreted resistivity maps were generated from interpreted VES results.Dar-Zarrouk parameters,transverse resistance(TR),longitudinal conductance(SL)and anisotropy(λ)were also calculated from resistivity data to delineate the potential zones of aquifer.70%of SL value is≤3S,30%of SL value is>3S.According to SL and TR values,the whole area is divided into three potential zones,high,medium and low potential zones.The spatial distribution maps show that north,south and central parts of study area are marked as good potential aquifer zones.Longitudinal conductance values are further utilized to determine aquifer protective capacity of area.The whole area is characterized by moderate to good and up to some extent very good aquifer protective area on the basis of SL values.The groundwater samples from sixty-seven installed tube wells are collected for hydro-chemical analysis.The electrical conductivity values are determined.Correlation is then developed between the EC(μS/cm)of groundwater samples vs.interpreted aquifer resistivity showing R2 value 0.90.

Delineation of potential groundwater zones based on multicriteria decision making technique

Groundwater is the most prioritized water source in India and plays an indispensable role in India’s economy. The groundwater potential mapping is key to the sustainable groundwater development and management. A hybrid methodology is applied to delineate potential groundwater zones based on remote sensing, geographical information systems(GIS) and analytic hierarchy process(AHP) as on multicriteria decision making. For the purpose of demonstrating field application, Chittar watershed, Tamilnadu, India is studied as an example. The important morphological characteristics considered in the study are lithology, geomorphology, lineament density, drainage density, slope, and Soil Conservation Service–Curve Number(SCS-CN). These six thematic layers are generated in a GIS platform. Based on intersecting the layers, AHP method, the values for adopting the pairwise comparison normalized weight and normalized subclasses weightage were given. The normalized subclass weightage is input into each layer subclass. Then, weighted linear combination method is used to add the data layers in GIS platform to generate groundwater potential Index(GWPI) map. The GWPI map is validated based on the net recharge computed from the differences of measured groundwater levels between the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon in the year 2018. The kappa statistics are used to measure level spatial consistency between the GWPI and net recharge map. The overall average spatial matching accuracy between the two data sets is 0.86, while the kappa coefficient for GWPI with net recharge, 0.78. The results show that in Chittar watershed about 870 km^2 area is divided into high potential zone(i.e. sum of very high and high potential zone), 667 km^2 area, as the moderate one and the rest 105 km^2 area, as the poor zone(i.e. sum of very poor and poor potential zone).

Dynamic influence of Holocene characteristics on vadose water in typical region of central North China Plain

In the typical region of central North China Plain, vadose sediments are Holocene sediment strata. With samples from field drillings, the study analyzes the sedimentary characteristics of vadose zone. The study takes the content of silty sand as the basis for sedimentary environment analysis, and the content of clay and sand as the sensitive indicator for sedimentary characteristics. Combining palynology analysis, the study divides vadose zone from top to bottom into diluvia oxbow lacustrine sediments, lacustrine sediments, lacustrine and swamp sediments, weak palaeohydrodynamic lacustrine sediments and alluvial sediments. Based on the sedimentary characteristics of Holocene strata, it analyzes the changes across depth of vadose zone water potential and matrix potential, obtaining the influence of vadose zone sedimentary characteristics on the migration of water in typical region of central North China Plain.

Groundwater Exploration Using Multi Criteria Decision Analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Central Nigeria

There exists a growing demand for potable water resources to fill the abysmally insufficient water needs for domestic and industrial especially in the Basement Complex terrains of Nigeria. This situation is attributable to its complex hydrogeologic character. The present challenge has worsened due to the non-incorporation of integrated methods in groundwater exploration campaigns. To effectively combat the challenge of unacceptable failure rates in drilled water well development, there is a need for innovative scientific principles and quantitative assessment of groundwater resources to enhance sustainable and proper utilisation of these resources. Hence, it is the objective of this research to exploit the potential application of remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques and freely open datasets in mapping groundwater potential zones. Seven thematic maps have been produced based on factors that are deemed to influence and deemed to have significant control on the occurrence and movement of groundwater. These factors are geology, lineament density, slope, drainage density, rainfall, land-use/land cover, and soil class. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assign normalised weights to the thematic maps based on the various relative contributions to groundwater occurrence and movement. These thematic maps were then processed in a GIS environment using the Weighted Overlay tool which implements the MCDA. The resulting Groundwater Potential Zones (GPZ) of the area gave rise to Five classes viz: Very good, Good, Moderate, Poor and Very Poor representing 19%, 8%, 14%, 47% and 13% respectively. It is recommended that the GPZ map should be used as a reconnaissance tool for selecting prospective sites for detailed groundwater resource exploitation.

Identification and Mapping of Essential Fish Habitats Using Remote Sensing and GIS on Lake Victoria, Kenya

Fisheries in Lake Victoria have been threatened by declining fish stocks and diversity, environmental degradation due to increased input of pollutants, industrial and municipal waste, overfishing and use of unapproved fishing methods, infestation by aquatic weeds especially water hyacinth, de-oxygenation and a reduction in the quantity and quality of water. Remote sensing and GIS are essential tools in detection of fishing grounds which is important in providing fish sustainability for human beings and allows fishing grounds detection at minimal cost and optimizes effort. This research tends to identify the most favorable both environmentally and ecologically satisfactory factors which favor fish breeding and growth. The main aim of the study was to identify habitat variables that promote fish breeding and growth to maturity including the extraction of environmental variables from Landsat 8 images for the study period and using suitability index derived from fishery data. The study concentrated on establishing suitability ratings in different parts of Lake Victoria using lake surface temperature and chlorophyll-a levels. The study was conducted for months;January, May and December 2019 on Lake Victoria (limited by the availability of recent data). The factors were analysed and the favorable regions mapped satisfying the conditions for fish breeding. The output obtained illustrated the availability of suitable and habitable zones within the lake using satellite imagery and the suitability index. The fish catch data and satellite derived variables were used to determine habitat suitability indices for fish during January, May and December 2019. More than 90% of the total catch was found to come from the areas with sea surface temperature of 23.0˚C - 28.3˚C and chlorophyll-a concentration between 0.72 - 1.31 mg/m3. The catch data was used to validate the images. This study indicated the capability of High Satellite Resolution Imageries (HSI) as a tool to map the potential fishing grounds of fish species in Lake Victoria. The variables were affected by climatic change factors like rainfall and temperature of the lake basin and other human activities around the lake and also the species ecosystem like competition or predation.

Adult neurogenesis in the four-striped mice(Rhabdomys pumilio)

In this study, we investigated non-captive four-striped mice （Rhabdomys pumilio） for evidence that adult neurogenesis occurs in the adult brain of animal models in natural environment. Ki-67 （a marker for cell proliferation） and doublecortin （a marker for immature neurons） immunos-taining conifrmed that adult neurogenesis occurs in the active sites of subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle with the migratory stream to the olfactory bulb, and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. No Ki-67 proliferating cells were observed in the striatum substantia nigra, amygdala, cerebral cortex or dorsal vagal complex. Doublecortin-immunore-active cells were observed in the striatum, third ventricle, cerebral cortex, amygdala, olfactory bulb and along the rostral migratory stream but absent in the substantia nigra and dorsal vagal complex. The potential neurogenic sites in the four-striped mouse species could invariably lead to increased neural plasticity.

Reservoirs Patterns and Key Controlling Factors of the Lenghu Oil & Gas Field in the Qaidam Basin, Northwestern China

The Lenghu area is one of the most crucial tectonic belts for oil and gas exploration in the Qaidam Basin.However,reservoir distribution and the factors controlling petroleum accumulation in this area have not been studied in detail.In this paper,the structural characteristics and controlling factors of oil and gas accumulation in the Lenghu belt are investigated based on seismic profiles combined with drilling logs and microphotographs data.Results indicate that the Lenghu belt has thick source rocks and has preserved hydrocarbon generation conditions.Moreover,structural characteristics and lithology are the key factors controlling the reservoir distribution.The production of oil and gas layers are mainly distributed in high structural points and weak stress zones.The fracture zones and the weak stress zones are the potential places for the distribution of oil and gas reservoirs.