Delineation of groundwater potential zones and recharge using multi-source big data and systematic analysis approach

Abstract

Groundwater is vital for all living things. A thorough comprehension of groundwater management is crucial, as careful use and replenishment can address various concerns. The distribution of groundwater tables, slope, landform, drainage pattern, lithology, topography, geological structure, fracturing density, fracture opening and connectivity, land use, and land cover influence the occurrence and efficiency of groundwater in an aquifer system. The integration of geospatial techniques, such as Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), is a crucial tool for analyzing, monitoring, and safeguarding groundwater supplies by identifying potential zones. Twelve groundwater-regulating factors have been considered in the analysis, including rainfall, geology, drainage density, soil, slope, aspect, roughness, hilshade, lineament density, land use/land cover, as well as flood and landslide data. We allocated theme weight and class rank to every thematic layer through weighted overlay analysis. Fieldwork corroborated the results, leading to the creation of a groundwater potential map (GWPZ). The delineated GWPZ watershed is classified into five categories: the very low GWPZ covers 12.5 % of the area, the low GWPZ covers 25 %, the medium GWPZ covers 37.5 %, the high GWPZ covers 20 %, and the very high GWPZ covers 5 % of the area. The northeastern region of the basin is classified as a low groundwater potential zone, whereas the southern area demonstrates a high groundwater potential. The results validated the GWPZ using field data from five wells in the research region, demonstrating a good accuracy rate of 85 %. This study provides a scientific basis for informed decision-making on groundwater usage and conservation for environmental and societal well-being, supporting water resource management and sustainable development.