Eureka! A cost effective and quick way to find groundwater in arid regions

Water is a scarce commodity in many countries worldwide, but new cost-effective technology pioneered by researchers in Australia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia could ensure sustainable water supplies for decades to come.

University of South Australia researcher Dr Alaa Ahmed and colleagues from the Desert Research Centre in Egypt, and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, have used the iconic Flinders Ranges to demonstrate how precious groundwater can be found without expensive drilling.

Using satellite imagery, geospatial techniques and adding information on drainage, rock types, fractures, topography and rainfall, Dr Ahmed has mapped the Hawker region in the Flinders Ranges into three distinct classifications for groundwater stored in fractured rock aquifers: good, moderate and low.

His study indicates that the most effective groundwater recharge zones (where surface water collects as it moves downwards) are located where there are numerous rock fractures, low drainage and a gentle slope.

Conversely, the least effective areas to find groundwater are underlain by shale and siltstone.

“The remote sensing doesn’t cost us anything because existing satellites located above Australia are already taking photos of the topography. We also have the software – GIS – to analyse and map all the data,” Dr Ahmed says.

Existing methods to assess groundwater sources involve extensive drilling, which is expensive, time consuming and often inaccurate.

Using a combination of remote sensing, GIS and information and other geological factors, hydrologists should be able to find precise groundwater locations at a fraction of the cost, he says.

“Groundwater makes up approximately 17 per cent of Australia’s available water resources, 30 per cent of its consumption and is found across 60 per cent of the continent.

“But prolonged droughts have led to higher salinity and pumping costs and fewer groundwater sites.

“We urgently need to find faster and cheaper ways to locate groundwater because water supplies are limited in so many parts of the country. By creating satellite maps showing where groundwater is more likely to be found, we can go a long way towards improving our water resources,” he says.

Groundwater is the main source of fresh water in the Flinders Ranges and is affected by the type, thickness and structural fabric of the underlying rocks, erosion, topography, drainage and the climate.

While the central Flinders Ranges lies north of Goyder’s Line, deemed unsuitable for cropping, sheep and cattle farming still needs a reliable source of water, as do the townships of Hawker and Parachilna.

Both towns are reliant on groundwater from fractured rock aquifers for their water supply and are dependent on limited production wells.

While this study was undertaken in South Australia, the same technique could be used to detect groundwater in any arid region across the world, including Egypt, where Dr Ahmed has carried out similar research.

“Water shortages and high salinity affect many countries. With global warming, we can expect to see more droughts and so water will become an even scarcer resource. Hopefully this technology will help ensure we have sustainable water supplies for decades to come.

“It will enable policymakers to decide potential sites for recharging the groundwater aquifers without depleting or harming the environment,” he says.

Dr Ahmed’s study has been published in the journal Water, with contributions from colleagues in the Desert Research Centre, Egypt, and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.