GEOELECTRICAL SURVEY TO DELINEATE THE EXTENSION OF THE WATER BEARING FORMATIONS IN WADI GHARANDAL, SOUTHWEST SINAI, EGYPT

Abstract

In the last decades, the strategic situation of Sinai attracted the government to set a national plan for its sustainable development. Since water is an important factor of this development, this study was carried out with the aim of defining the groundwater occurrences along Wadi Gharandal and its tributaries. The area lies in the eastern side of the Gulf of Suez covering about 870 km2. It extends between Latitudes 29º 11’ N & 29º 25’ N. and Longitudes 32º 52’ 20” E & 33º 27’ 20” E .Geoelectrical study was carried out by conducting 35 Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) along the main channel of Wadi Gharandal and its tributaries. This study revealed that the subsurface succession consists of 11 geoelectrical units equivalent to a succession extending from the Lower Cretaceous to the Quaternary. Some of these units areconsidered as water bearing formations. The subsurface succession is found to be affected by a number of normal stepfaults throwing towards the Gulf of Suez (East). These faults play an important role in the groundwater occurrencesalong Wadi Gharandal.