Electrical resistivity, geochemical and hydrogeological properties of wadi deposits, western Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

Six main wadi systems within the Arabian Shield, filled with a heterogeneous, strongly anisotropic assemblage of alluvial deposits, were investigated with Schlumberger resistivity soundings.

Aquifer electric resistivities were determined for 39 vertical electrical soundings at these wadies where pumping and recovery tests were also performed.

The hydrogeophysical properties of the wadi deposit exhibit a wide range in all its individual characters.

The hydraulic1 conductivity varies from 3 to 166 m/day, the aquifer resistivity is between 1.4 and 1760 m, the transmissivity values are 40-5800 m2/day, the apparent formation factor is 0.17-26, and the electrical conductivity of the groundwater varies from 610 to 19000 (i S/cm.

The major ionic composition shows a wide variation in the hydrochemical properties of the groundwater of the wadi deposits.

The results of this study also indicate that electric resistivities determined from soundings and aquifer properties have a relation of the type: Y The comparison of the results of the present study with previous published woik (largely from temperate zones) has shown that wadi deposits have different hydrogeological properties.