Application of electrical resistivity technique to delineate faults : a case study of Khor Gwob Area, Eastern Sudan, Red Sea State

Abstract EN

Geoelectrical resistivity surveys were carried out in Khor Gwob area located at the western part of Swakin locality, Red Sea State, NE Sudan, to map basement topography and delineate faults for ground water exploration purposes.

Vertical electrical sounding (VES) data sets were collected along longitudinal profiles trending East-West parallel to Khor strike and perpendicular to the basement\sedimentary rocks contact.

Ten sounding points distributed over a profile with unequal spacing covering more than 7 km length were selected and tested to investigate the subsurface geological structure of Gwob to depth of 130 m.

These sounding points were quantitatively interpreted to obtain the subsurface layer distribution and define the expected structural features.

Information from boreholes was incorporated during the process to confirm the results and to overcome the constrains of the resistivity models with geological layers.

Geoelectrical section and pseudo-sections were presented.

The results revealed the presence of three main geoelectrical layers represented by the basement complex, weathered basement and sedimentary rocks.

The basement rocks dipped generally eastward, where the sedimentary thickness increased in the same direction.

The depth to the basement was about 16 m in the western part of the area and reached 130 m in the eastern part.

From this study it can be concluded that the eastern portion could be the important targets for future groundwater exploration.