Journal de géologie et géophysique
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An Integrated Approach for Identifying the Influences of Nubia Swells on Aquifer Distributions and Potentialities

Ahmed F Yousef*

There are a lot of broad basins in Africa surrounded by irregular swells. In East Africa, Nubia swell refers to a complete active east-west trending structure in south Egypt and north Sudan that extended more than 1000 km with a width reach 200 km. The influences of swell on aquifer distribution and potentialities are the main objectives based on huge data sets. Kom Ombo area south Egypt was selected as a case study for testing, where the hydrological setting does not understand. Swell many controls the distribution of landforms and rock units, drainage pattern, the course of River Nile, forming three depressions (Nuqra, Kom Ombo, and Gallaba), and the sources of groundwater recharge. Examination of their influence on hydrogeologic setting lead to shedding new lights on the Quaternary aquifer and discovery of karst and Nubian aquifer systems with saturated thickness reach to 1200 m. The Quaternary aquifer has moderate potentialities with salinity 605 to 1620 ppm that recharged largely from deep Nubian aquifer through fault plain, Lake Nasser, and system of irrigation. Upward leakage owing swell is supported by the higher temperature of the water near E-W fault plains, deep meteoric water genesis, salts, and of Na-Cl-SO4 water type. Karst has moderate potentiality with thickness 200 to 900 m and salinity 3856 to 4164 ppm. The Nubian aquifer system is a highly productive and potential aquifer in the study area with thickness from 345 to 700 m. The aquifer characterized by high hydrostatic pressure, relatively high temperature, and depleted water. Keywords: Nubia swell; Aquifer distributions; Potentialities; East Africa.