GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUNDWATER LEVEL USING VERTICAL ELECTRICAL SOUNDING

GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUNDWATER LEVEL USING VERTICAL ELECTRICAL SOUNDING

ABSTRACT

One major source of obtaining portable water which is one of the most consumed minerals at homes, in the industries and factories today is through boreholes and drilled wells. Ever since man began to live in communities, the problem of suitable and adequate water supply especially for domestic and farm use has always agitated the mind. However, in most developing countries such as Nigeria, clean water is not continuously available or may not be available at all. Groundwater is considered as a very important natural resource. In arid, semi arid, and dry regions, this may be the only source of water supply. Even in humid areas, groundwater is considered a better resource for many economic and hygienic reasons. The role of groundwater in sustaining the life of man on this planet can hardly be overemphasized. Presently, all the developed and developing countries are giving top priorities to short and long term schemes envisaging exploration and exploitation of groundwater reserves in their respective regions. Already, millions of gallons of groundwater are being pumped out every day in the world to meet industrial, agricultural and domestic needs of man. In most parts of Ewu, Esan Central Local Government Area, Edo State, not all wells yield appreciable quantity of portable water since they are prone to variation in groundwater characteristics because of the disparity in lithological, structural formation and sedimentation parameters. The existence of failed boreholes and dry wells has posed a great concern. This is however, traceable to sitting and drilling of boreholes without geophysical studies. Therefore, it is essential that a reliable geophysical study should be carried out before drilling of boreholes.

GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUNDWATER LEVEL USING VERTICAL ELECTRICAL SOUNDING