ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 3, Issue 5, May 2014
Copyright to IJIRSET www.ijirset.com 12163
Identification of Groundwater Potential Zone
using Remote Sensing and GIS Technique
M.L.Waikar
1
and Aditya P. Nilawar
2
1
Professor and Head, Deptt. of Civil & Water Management Engineering, SGGS Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Vishnupuri, Nanded (M.S.), India
2
P.G. student , Deptt. of Civil & Water Management Engineering, SGGS Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Vishnupuri, Nanded (M.S.), India
Abstract Groundwater is an important resource contributing significantly in total annual supply. However, over-
exploitation has depleted groundwater availability considerably and also led to land subsidence at some places.
Assessing the potential zone of groundwater recharge is extremely important for the protection of water quality and
the management of groundwater systems. Groundwater potential zones are demarked with the help of remote sensing
and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. In this study a standard methodology is proposed to determine
groundwater potential using integration of RS & GIS technique.
The composite map is generated using GIS tools.
The
accurate information to obtain the parameters that can be considered for identifying the groundwater potential zone
such as geology, slope, drainage
density, geomorphic units and lineament density are
generated using the satellite
data and survey of India (SOI) toposheets of scale 1:50000. It is then integrated with weighted overlay in ArcGIS.
Suitable ranks
are assigned for each category of these para
meters. For the various geomorphic units, weight factors
are decided based on their capability to store groundwater. This procedure is repeated for all the other layers and
resultant layers are reclassified. The groundwater potential zones are classified into five categories like very poor,
poor, moderate, good & excellent. The use of suggested methodology is demonstrated for a selected study area in
Parbhani district of Maharashtra. This groundwater potential information will be useful for effective identification of
suitable locations for extraction of water.
Keywords:
Remote sensing, GIS, Weighted overlay, Thematic maps.
I. INTRODUCTION
Groundwater is one of the most valuable natural resources, which supports human health, economic development
and ecological diversity. Because of its several inherent qualities it has become an immensely important and
dependable source of water supplies in all climatic regions including both urban and rural areas of developed and
developing countries. Groundwater is a form of water occupying all the voids within a geological stratum. Water
bearing formations of the earth’s crust act as
conduits for transmission and as reservoirs for storing
water. The
groundwater occurrence in a geological
formation and the scope for its exploitation primarily
depends on the
formation of porosity. High relief and steep slopes impart higher runoff, while topographical depressions increase
infiltration. An area of high drainage density also increases surface runoff compared to a low drainage density area.
Surface water bodies like rivers, ponds, etc.,
can act as recharge zones
(Murugesan B. et al., 2012)
.
Over the years the growing importance of groundwater based on an increasing need has led to unscientific
exploitation of groundwater creating a water stress condition. This alarming situation calls for a cost and time
effective technique for proper evaluation of groundwater resources and management planning. A groundwater
developing program requires a large volume of data from various sources.
Hence, identification and quantization of
these features are important for generating a groundwater potential model of a study area. Currently groundwater is
gaining more attention due to drought problem, rural water supply, irrigation project and low cost of development it
requires. Despite the extensive research and technological advancement, the study of groundwater has remained
more risky, as there is no direct method to facilitate observation of water below the surface. Its presence or
absence can only be inferred indirectly by studying the geological and surface parameters. The different
ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 3, Issue 5, May 2014
Copyright to IJIRSET www.ijirset.com 12164
hydrogeological themes can be used to identify the ground
water potential zone of the present area.
The remote sensing
and Geographic information system (GIS) tool can open new path in water resource studies. Analysis of remote sensing
data along the survey of India (SOI) topographical sheets and collateral information with necessary ground truth
verifications help in generating the baseline information for groundwater targeting. Identification of groundwater
occurrence location using remote sensing data is based on indirect analysis of directly observable terrain features like
geological structures, geomorphology, and their hydrologic characteristics. Also lineaments play significant role in
groundwater exploration in all type of terrain. Application of GIS and RS can also be considered for multi criteria
analysis in resource evaluation and hydrogeomorphological mapping for water resource management.
The use of
remote
sensing and GIS tools to extract detailed drainage, slope
and geomorphic features in parts of Parbhani
District
suggests appropriate methods for groundwater potential
zone studies.
II. RELATED WORK
Murugesan Bagyaraj et al., (2012) have carried out groundwater study in the Dindigul district of kodaikanal hill,
which is a mountainous terrain in the Western Ghats of Tamilnadu. Ground water potential zones have been
demarcated with the help of remote sensing and Geographical information (GIS) techniques. All thematic maps are
generated using the resource sat (IRS P6 LISS IV MX) data and Inverse distance weight (IDW) model is used in GIS
data to identify the groundwater potential of the study area. For the various geomorphic units, weight factors were
assigned based on their capability to store groundwater.
Prabir Mukherjee et al., (2012) made an attempt to determine the groundwater potential zones within an arid region of
Kachchh district, Gujarat. Thematic layers have been generated by using ancillary data and digital satellite image. The
potential zones have been obtained by weighted overlay analysis, the ranking given for each individual parameter of each
thematic map and weights were assigned according to their influence.
Deepesh Machiwal et al., (2010) proposed a standard methodology to delineate groundwater potential zones using
integrated RS, GIS and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques. The methodology is demonstrated by a
case study in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, western India. Initially, ten thematic layers have been considered. Weights
of the thematic layers and their features then normalized by using AHP (analytic hierarchy process) MCDM technique
and eigenvector method. Finally, the selected thematic maps were integrated by weighted linear combination method in
a GIS environment to generate a groundwater potential map.
Cheng-Haw Lee et al., (2008) proposed that assessing the potential zone of groundwater recharge is extremely
important for the protection of water quality and the management of groundwater systems. Further groundwater
potential study was carried out in Taiwan with the help of remote sensing and the geographical information system
(GIS) by integrating the five contributing factors: lithology, land cover/land use, lineaments, drainage, and slope. The
weights of factors contributing to the groundwater recharge are derived using aerial photos, geology maps, a land use
database, and field verification.
Jobin Thomas et al., (2011) determined groundwater potential zone
in tropical river basin (Kerala, India) using
remote
sensing and GIS techniques. The information on geology, geomorphology,
lineaments, slope and land
use/land cover was gathered from Landsat ETM + data and Survey of
India (SOI) toposheets of scale 1:50,000 in
addition, GIS platform was used for the integration of various
themes. The composite map generated was further
classified according to the spatial variation of the groundwater
potential. The spatial variation of the potential
indicates that groundwater occurrence is controlled by geology, structures, slope and landforms.
III. OBJECTIVE & STUDY AREA
1. General
The primary objective of the study is to contribute towards systematic groundwater studies utilizing Remote
Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the delineation of groundwater potential areas. The present
study area is located in the Parbhani district of Maharashtra which has natural boundaries of the Penganga river with a
stretch of 160.93 km. (100 miles) in the north-east, and of the Godavari river with 64.37 km. (40 miles) in the south-
west. Administratively, it is bounded on the north by Buldhana and Akola, on the east by Yeotmal and Nanded, on the
south by Nanded and Bhir, and on the west by Aurangabad districts. The Godavari River, the Purna, the Dudhana, the
Karpara River and their tributaries mainly drain the study area. The climate of the district is Semi arid, humid and
ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
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(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 3, Issue 5, May 2014
Copyright to IJIRSET www.ijirset.com 12165
subtropical. The average annual rainfall in the district is about 909 mm and temperature goes up to 42
°C in
summer and comes down to 11°C in winter season.
Study area is Charthana, geographically located between
76°
30′,
76° 40
′
E longitudes, and 19°30′, 19°45′ N latitudes. In the Survey of India toposheet, it forms part of 56 A/10 on
1:50000 scale. The northern and southern parts of the Parbhani district being hilly terrain are drought prone and
faces the problem of acute water scarcity. On account of its hilly terrain these areas of the Parbhani district except for
a few sources, faces shortage of drinking water. There is frequent drought problem in these regions. Although the area
receives assured annual rainfall from 900-950 mm, most of it flows away as runoff without recharging the
groundwater reservoir.
Fig.1
Location map of Charthana village
2. Geology
A large part of the district is occupied of rocks similar to the Deccan trap formation, (Fig.4) represented by of most
horizontal lava flows of basaltic composition, thought to have been emplaced from fissures towards the close of the
Mesozoic era, on to the lower tertiary era. These are referred to a Deccan traps owing to their prevalent occurrence in
the Deccan, and the step like appearance of their exposures. They have a general tendency to form flat topped hills
giving rise to plateaus, comprising several lava flows, each ranging from a few meters 10 to 50 meters in thickness. The
various lithological units forming a flow may be differentiated from one another from their physical characteristics,
such as their texture, jointing development, and mineralogical peculiarities. In general, the tops of these flows are
characterized by the presence of a red ferruginous bed, which perhaps, represents an altered ferruginous upper crust of
a flow. The traps in general exhibit typical spheroidal weathering, concentric layers simulating an onion being
developed in weathered boulders. Some of these flows are characterized by the presence of a unit comprising well
developed columnar joints giving pentagonal columns standing for several meters in height. The traps give rise to either
deep brown to rich red or to black cotton soil. Such belt of soil is noticed around Parbhani, Lasina, Basmath,
Kanhergaon, Gangakhed, Pathri, Partur, Jintur, Hingoli and Kalamnuri. The regur is rich in plant nutrients such as lime,
magnesia, iron, variable amount of potash and low nitrogen and phosphorous. It is generally porous and swells
considerably on addition of water and dries up with distinct cracks on losing the moisture. Another product of
weathering is laterite which is occasionally noticed capping the high hills in the district. It is a porous, pitted, clayey
rock with red, yellow, brown, grey mottled colors and with a thin limonitic coating on the surface.
3. Groundwater
The hilly country receives the maximum rainfall. The groundwater is mostly tapped from percolation in wells and
springs. The plains comprising the Penganga, Godavari, Kanad, Kapra and Dudhna river valleys, have sufficient water
supply and may be said to be well-irrigated tracts of the district. Presence of flows and closely spaced system of joints
in hard and massive basalts help the percolation of water and wells situated near either of these suitable conditions,
have adequate water supply.
ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
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(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 3, Issue 5, May 2014
Copyright to IJIRSET www.ijirset.com 12166
4. Hydrogeology
In Deccan Basalt terrain groundwater occurs under phreatic conditions in the exposed lava flows and under semi
confined conditions in the flows at deeper level. Lithological constraints dictate that groundwater is present in the
pore spaces of the vesicular basalt and in the joint and fracture portions of massive parts of the flows. The primary
porosity in the basalts is associated with the vesicles, which are the pore spaces developed due to the escape of
volatile and gases when the lava erupts on the surface as a lava flow. This primary porosity in the basalt is
naturally limited and related to the quantum of gasses/volatile in the eruptive phase, which resulted in the basalt
flow. The groundwater in the study area therefore is restricted mostly to the zones of secondary porosity developed
in these rocks due to fractures, joints and weathering. From the hydrogeological point of view, the frequency and
extent of jointing, fracturing and the flow contacts and weathering along them are the most significant parameters
imparting permeability and porosity for forming suitable groundwater reservoirs in the deccan basalt terrain.
IV METHODOLOGY
The proposed methodology of study involved various activities such as base map preparation, LULC map preparation,
Digitization and image processing using software and interpretation of the outputs.
First stage includes development of
spatial data base by using survey of India (SOI)
toposheet on a 1: 50000 scale and IRS P6 LISS IV MX satellite data.
GIS and remote
sensing technology is applied to prepare various
thematic maps with reference to groundwater like
drainage density, contour, and stream length. Additionally, the Land Utilization Survey Database, geologic maps and
on site investigation are adopted to quantitatively and qualitatively describe the hydro-geo- logical conditions of the area.
The second stage involved preparation of digital elevation model (DEM) by interpolating contour map that is digitized
from SOI toposheet. DEM is used to prepare slope, aspect, flow accumulation and stream order. Methodology is widely
used for preparing runoff potential map for small to medium size engaged drainage basin.
In the third stage, digital image processing of the satellite data is done for geo-referencing & geometric correction. This
is followed by creation of different thematic layers using supervised classification technique. All the attributes from the
collected data then summed to create the buffer map for agriculture area & settlement area. It is then followed by
creation of other important data which is used to determine the ground water potential at the later stage like land
use/land cover map, geological/lineament map, geo-morphological map and hydro-geo-morphological.
In the fourth stage all above themes are further processed and analysed in overlay and ranking is given to evaluate
suitable groundwater potential zone. All the thematic layers will overlay by using GIS to find the final integrated output
of groundwater potential zones in the present study, geomorphology, slope,
drainage density, Land use and land cover,
geology and lineament density are
considered for the identification of groundwater potential.
V FACTORS INFLUENCING GROUNDWATER
1. Drainage and drainage density map
A drainage basin is a natural unit draining runoff water to a common point. This map consists of water bodies, rivers,
tributaries, perennial & ephemeral streams, ponds. The study area is fourth order basin joining the rivers, tributaries
based on topography depicted in Fig.5.
Drainage network helps in delineation of watersheds. Drainage density and type of drainage gives information related
to runoff, infiltration relief and permeability. Dendritic drainage indicates homogenous rocks, the trellis, rectangular
and parallel drainage patterns indicate structural and lithological controls. The coarse drainage texture indicates highly
porous and permeable rock formations; whereas fine drainage texture is more common in less pervious formations.
Major faults, lineaments sometimes connects two or more drainage basins and act as conduits (Interconnecting channel
ways). Flow of groundwater along these week zones is an established fact. Drainage pattern reflects surface
characteristics as well as subsurface formation (Horton, 1945).
ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
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(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 3, Issue 5, May 2014
Copyright to IJIRSET www.ijirset.com 12167
Drainage density (in terms of Km/Km
2
) indicates closeness of spacing of channel as well as the nature of surface material, thus
providing a quantitative measure of average length of stream channel for whole basin. It has been observed from drainage density
measurement made over a wide range of geologic and climatic type that a low drainage density is more likely to occur in region and
highly resistant of highly permeable subsoil material under dense vegetative cover and where relief is low. High drainage density is
the resultant of weak or impermeable subsurface material, sparse vegetation and mountainous relief. Low drainage density leads to
coarse drainage texture while high drainage density leads to fine drainage texture. The drainage density characterizes the runoff in an
area or in other words, the quantum of relative rainwater that could have infiltrated. Hence the lesser the drainage density, the higher
is the probability of recharge or potential groundwater zone. The entire drainage map is divided into five categories as in Table 2 and
depicted in Fig.6
Fig.3 Flow chart depicting broad methodology
Table2. Drainage density category Table3. Slope gradient and category
Class
Degree
Slope Category
1
0 - 1
Nearly level
2
1 - 3
Very gently sloping
3
3 - 5
Gently sloping
4
5 - 10
Moderately sloping
5
10 - 15
Strongly sloping
Class
Km/Km
2
Drainage density
category
1
0 - 1.2
Very Low
2
1.2 - 2.4
Low
3
2.4 - 3.6
Moderate
4
3.6 - 4.8
High
5
4.8 - 6
Very High
Toposheet (1:50,000)
Satellite Data (LISS-IV)
Geology Survey of India
Image Analysis – ERADAS 9.3
Digital Interpretation
Lineament Map
Geomorphology Map
Lineament Density
Land Use Land Cover
Geology
GIS Weight Overlay
Ground Water Potential Zone
Drainage Map
DEM Map
Drainage Density Map
Slope Map
Contour Map