Abstract The integration of geophysical data with direct hydrogeological measurements can provide... more Abstract The integration of geophysical data with direct hydrogeological measurements can provide a minimally invasive approach to characterize the subsurface at a variety of resolutions and over many spatial scales. The field of hydrogeophysics has attracted much attention during the ...
This study integrates remote sensing and geophysical data to identify the hydrological conditions... more This study integrates remote sensing and geophysical data to identify the hydrological conditions of the Naqab reservoir watershed. The main objectives of this study are identification and the interpretation of subsurface structures and their impact on groundwater flow, the relationships between structures and groundwater and the optimum way for watershed management in this sub-basin. Geophysical data including, ground magnetic survey and 1D electrical resistivity sounding helped in identifying the lithology and delineating zones of groundwater occurrence. The magnetic data delineated the basement rock, aided in characterizing the geometry of the subsurface structures that control the land surface features and constrain groundwater flow system. The interpreted subsurface structure elements include six sets of faults trending NE-SW, NW-SE, NWW-SEE, NEE-SWW, N-S and E-W. The basement depth was estimated at zero at the southern part and about 5187 m at the northern part. Two aquifer sy...
East Cairo is characterized by abundant quarries that have been used as landfill sites for solid ... more East Cairo is characterized by abundant quarries that have been used as landfill sites for solid waste. These sites have become part of the urban sprawl of New Cairo, and their detection became difficult from the ground surface. In this study, analysis of multi-temporal high-resolution satellite images and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data were used to detect and delineate a buried landfill site located near the Ring Road, East Cairo, Egypt. Analysis of changes detected on the satellite images revealed that the study site was a WNW-oriented Quarry until 2005 and then randomly filled with heterogeneous solid materials. ERT survey was planned based on the result of change detection. On the plan view, the ERT measurements have outlined the electrically conductive zones which are occupied by filling material and distinguished them from the resistive zones that symbolize the natural soil areas. By assimilation of the satellite images and the ERT results, two distinguished geoe...
Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) sounding and Ground ElectroMagnetic (GEM) profiling have been con... more Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) sounding and Ground ElectroMagnetic (GEM) profiling have been conducted at Hawara archeological area, El Fayoum, Egypt to investigate the subsurface water and its effect on the archeological targets at this area. This archeological site comprises Hawara pyramid, the northern necropolis and a southern mortuary complex called “labyrinth”. Nowadays Hawara area is entirely abandoned and surrounded by cultivated areas, as well as, a surface water canal named “Bahr Wahba”. The surface and underground water bodies have negative effects on the foundation of Hawara pyramid and the labyrinth site, where the entrance of the pyramid is today flooded to a depth of about 6 meters below the ground surface. TEM data have been acquired at three sites in this area comprising the cultivated land, the pyramid and the labyrinth, while the GEM survey was conducted inside the labyrinth site. Integrated interpretation of these data sets indicates that, the agricultural activ...
The mines of magnetite and hematite occupy some areas of the Eastern Desert at Wadi Abu Subeira, ... more The mines of magnetite and hematite occupy some areas of the Eastern Desert at Wadi Abu Subeira, northeast of Aswan city which is a volcanic and tectonic area. It is one of the largest arc sedimentary rock sequence affected by faulting and folding due to repeated stages of deformation. The iron deposits in this area are of oolitic type and exist in two bands inter-bedded with ferruginous sandstone and clay layers. The thickness of the bands varies from 0.5 to 3.5 m. Detailed geophysical work has been carried out on the promise site of Abu Subeira to identify the lateral and vertical distribution of the iron-ore deposits at this area. Many geophysical methods were applied in this study including Land Magnetic Survey, Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI), Induced Polarization (IP), and Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM). Besides, rock samples from the iron ores were collected for chemical analysis. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were applied for estimation of iron concentration (Fe %) and other minerals’ contents in the rock samples. The field data sets were measured along the iron ore bodies of Wadi Abu Subeira and were processed and analyzed by the proper software packages. The areas with iron ore deposits were expressed in the geophysical results by low resistivity, high chargeability, and moderate to high magnetic anomalies. Integrated interpretation of the obtained results revealed that the ore deposits exist in the form of lenses with variable thickness ranging from few meters to about 30-m thick. The mineral occurrences in Abu Subeira are managed by the major faults and the hydrothermal fluids flowing along these faults.
Magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and gravity methods were employed to study the deep freshwater aqu... more Magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and gravity methods were employed to study the deep freshwater aquifer in the area north of Abo Zenema city on the eastern side of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Seven MT sites and 48 gravity stations were surveyed along northeast-southwest profiles as close as possible to a line perpendicular to the coast of the Gulf of Suez.
Abstract The integration of geophysical data with direct hydrogeological measurements can provide... more Abstract The integration of geophysical data with direct hydrogeological measurements can provide a minimally invasive approach to characterize the subsurface at a variety of resolutions and over many spatial scales. The field of hydrogeophysics has attracted much attention during the ...
This study integrates remote sensing and geophysical data to identify the hydrological conditions... more This study integrates remote sensing and geophysical data to identify the hydrological conditions of the Naqab reservoir watershed. The main objectives of this study are identification and the interpretation of subsurface structures and their impact on groundwater flow, the relationships between structures and groundwater and the optimum way for watershed management in this sub-basin. Geophysical data including, ground magnetic survey and 1D electrical resistivity sounding helped in identifying the lithology and delineating zones of groundwater occurrence. The magnetic data delineated the basement rock, aided in characterizing the geometry of the subsurface structures that control the land surface features and constrain groundwater flow system. The interpreted subsurface structure elements include six sets of faults trending NE-SW, NW-SE, NWW-SEE, NEE-SWW, N-S and E-W. The basement depth was estimated at zero at the southern part and about 5187 m at the northern part. Two aquifer sy...
East Cairo is characterized by abundant quarries that have been used as landfill sites for solid ... more East Cairo is characterized by abundant quarries that have been used as landfill sites for solid waste. These sites have become part of the urban sprawl of New Cairo, and their detection became difficult from the ground surface. In this study, analysis of multi-temporal high-resolution satellite images and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data were used to detect and delineate a buried landfill site located near the Ring Road, East Cairo, Egypt. Analysis of changes detected on the satellite images revealed that the study site was a WNW-oriented Quarry until 2005 and then randomly filled with heterogeneous solid materials. ERT survey was planned based on the result of change detection. On the plan view, the ERT measurements have outlined the electrically conductive zones which are occupied by filling material and distinguished them from the resistive zones that symbolize the natural soil areas. By assimilation of the satellite images and the ERT results, two distinguished geoe...
Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) sounding and Ground ElectroMagnetic (GEM) profiling have been con... more Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) sounding and Ground ElectroMagnetic (GEM) profiling have been conducted at Hawara archeological area, El Fayoum, Egypt to investigate the subsurface water and its effect on the archeological targets at this area. This archeological site comprises Hawara pyramid, the northern necropolis and a southern mortuary complex called “labyrinth”. Nowadays Hawara area is entirely abandoned and surrounded by cultivated areas, as well as, a surface water canal named “Bahr Wahba”. The surface and underground water bodies have negative effects on the foundation of Hawara pyramid and the labyrinth site, where the entrance of the pyramid is today flooded to a depth of about 6 meters below the ground surface. TEM data have been acquired at three sites in this area comprising the cultivated land, the pyramid and the labyrinth, while the GEM survey was conducted inside the labyrinth site. Integrated interpretation of these data sets indicates that, the agricultural activ...
The mines of magnetite and hematite occupy some areas of the Eastern Desert at Wadi Abu Subeira, ... more The mines of magnetite and hematite occupy some areas of the Eastern Desert at Wadi Abu Subeira, northeast of Aswan city which is a volcanic and tectonic area. It is one of the largest arc sedimentary rock sequence affected by faulting and folding due to repeated stages of deformation. The iron deposits in this area are of oolitic type and exist in two bands inter-bedded with ferruginous sandstone and clay layers. The thickness of the bands varies from 0.5 to 3.5 m. Detailed geophysical work has been carried out on the promise site of Abu Subeira to identify the lateral and vertical distribution of the iron-ore deposits at this area. Many geophysical methods were applied in this study including Land Magnetic Survey, Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI), Induced Polarization (IP), and Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM). Besides, rock samples from the iron ores were collected for chemical analysis. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were applied for estimation of iron concentration (Fe %) and other minerals’ contents in the rock samples. The field data sets were measured along the iron ore bodies of Wadi Abu Subeira and were processed and analyzed by the proper software packages. The areas with iron ore deposits were expressed in the geophysical results by low resistivity, high chargeability, and moderate to high magnetic anomalies. Integrated interpretation of the obtained results revealed that the ore deposits exist in the form of lenses with variable thickness ranging from few meters to about 30-m thick. The mineral occurrences in Abu Subeira are managed by the major faults and the hydrothermal fluids flowing along these faults.
Magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and gravity methods were employed to study the deep freshwater aqu... more Magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and gravity methods were employed to study the deep freshwater aquifer in the area north of Abo Zenema city on the eastern side of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Seven MT sites and 48 gravity stations were surveyed along northeast-southwest profiles as close as possible to a line perpendicular to the coast of the Gulf of Suez.
The stable (δ2H, δ18O and δ13C) and radiocarbon (14C) isotopic compositions of water and hydroche... more The stable (δ2H, δ18O and δ13C) and radiocarbon (14C) isotopic compositions of water and hydrochemical information were analyzed and used to quantify the contribution of different sources, i.e., groundwater in the original Quaternary and the Miocene aquifers, surface water in the Ismailia canal and wastewater, to the Quaternary aquifer system. 14C activities and isotope data suggest that about 52% of groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer is derived from the past rainfall, i.e., presumably 5000-7800 years B.P. Northward (EC <1000 µS/cm, high HCO3- concentration, δ13C-depleted, δ18O/δ2H-enriched, and 14C ≥ 70 pMC) and southward (EC >6000 µS/cm, low HCO3- concentration, δ13C-enriched, δ18O/δ2H-depleted, and 14C ≤ 42 pMC) spatial changes in chemical and isotopic compositions of groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer are attributed to the contributions of the Ismailia canal in the north and the groundwater of the Miocene aquifer in the south, respectively. Temporal changes of isotopic composition of the Nile water in response to the construction of the Aswan High Dam are also detected and the information is used to evaluate the groundwater recharge processes from the Ismailia canal. Current contribution from the Ismailia canal (25%) is considered to be greatly enhanced through surface water diversion and related irrigation practices, i.e., freshwater ponds. Contribution of the groundwater from the Miocene aquifer was also detected locally, and it was thought to be related to the excessive pumping. Increase in nitrate concentrations, change in the stable isotopic composition of groundwater from wells adjacent to wastewater ponds, along with the information obtained from the analysis of city water balance and recent geophysical data show that local recharge from wastewater ponds (4%) occurs to the Quaternary aquifer system. The results are expected to be helpful for formulating appropriate protection and sustainable water management strategies.
Uploads
Papers by Usama Massoud