DELINEATION OF GROUNDWATER POTENTIAL ZONES AND ZONES OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY SUITABLE FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TECHNIQUES

Geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing data covering large and inaccessible areas within short time and high precision have proved to be very effective tools to discern groundwater potential zones. In the area of Morocco known as the Lower Chaouia, located on the Atlantic coast between Casablanca and Mohammedia, groundwater occurs in a hard rock terrain, especially the Precambrian quartzite and fractured schist. The objective of the present study is to develop and verify a methodology for mapping groundwater potential zones. Remote sensing data and GIS were employed to locate potential zones for groundwater in Lower Chaouia by preparing various maps, such as lineaments, drainage, soil type, slope and the lithology of the aquifer matrix. The groundwater availability of the basin is qualitatively classified into different classes (Excellent, Good, Moderate, Poor and Nil) based on hydrogeomorphological conditions. The results of this study indicate that the GIS techniques and remote sensing data can be used successfully in the exploration of groundwater potential zones.