Paper No. 7
Presentation Time: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
REMOTE SENSING INDICATIONS OF POTENTIAL RENEWABLE GROUNDWATER LOCATIONS IN ARID LANDS
ABUBAKR, Mostafa, Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, GHONEIM, Eman, Department of Geography and Geology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403 and EL-BAZ, Farouk, Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-1401, mostafa@bu.edu
The reliance on renewable groundwater represents the main gate to sustainable development in arid lands. The Sinai Peninsula is one of such regions that can be developed by defining the most appropriate sites for renewable groundwater. Northern Sinai receives the largest amount of precipitation in Egypt (~304 mm/y). In addition, runoff emanating from central Sinai through Wadi El-Arish recharges the groundwater to the north. This study aims to delineate potential sites for renewable groundwater resources in the northern part of the wadi, to meet the urgent needs for development of the Peninsula in the post-revolution era. Remotely sensed satellite images including: ETM+, ASTER, Radarsat-1, PALSAR, SRTM and MODIS were utilized to help in predicting the optimum locations of the near-surface groundwater recharge. Multi-source data fusion of optical and microwave sensors was performed to extract the texture and compositional characteristics of the wadi bed deposits. Linear spectral unmixing algorithm was applied on ETM+ images to determine the relative abundances of predominant materials (endmembers) of the alluvial deposits; the results were compared with the slope map. A rainstorm, over Wadi El-Arish was used to link the appearance of the surface features to hidden near-surface groundwater. Therefore, MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) was employed, as a supplementary method, to detect topsoil moisture anomalies, following the rain event. Major fracture patterns were deducted from ETM+ images and SRTM-derived shaded relief, while
Radarsat-1 was used to trace buried lineaments. The results indicate that the highest groundwater accumulations along the Wadi are located in either structurally controlled channels; such as in Bir El-Tamada at Wadi El-Bruk, or dense intersected drainages, as in junction between Wadi Qiraiya and Wadi El-Arish. The distinctive vast flat area, presently designated Wadi El-Sirr, periodically collects rainwater from the surrounding highlands of Gabels Halal, Maghara and Yelleg, thus, could be an additional site for groundwater accumulation. The high surface permeability and possible lateral recharge from the adjacent wadi course, through the NW fractures, suggests that Wadi El-Sirr area and the northern part of Wadi El-Arish potentially host vast amounts of near-surface water.
