Geo-Electrical Investigation for Groundwater Resources in a Part of Butembo Area (North Kivu Province; Democratic Republic of Congo)
Keywords:
geo electrical, groundwater, Schlumberger methods, crystalline rocksAbstract
This paper presents the results of the groundwater research undertaken in Butembo area, Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. By the geophysical survey undertaken in this campaign, the expected result was to find out aquifers through the geological exploration and geophysical survey. The geological exploration has revealed that the geology of Butembo is built by crystalline rocks covered by a lateritic top soil. The geophysical investigation was focuses on the electrical method of resistivity using the Schlumberger configuration spreading the current electrodes from 1.5 to 280m with depth penetration capability of 93.3m. The field data was acquired using the allied Ohmega resistivity meter and the computer plot using the WinResist software after being subjected to manual plotting. The analyses of sounding curves of data over the areas have brought out three to four subsurface geo-electric patterns. The geophysical curves suggest that aquifers are made by fractured crystalline bedrock. The aquifer level is overlain by more than 20 m of saprolite and a thick slightly weathered basement. This sandy clay saprolite can constitute an aquifer but it lower transmissivity and the hygienic conditions made it unusable. By this research, we have got ideas relatively to the underground water of the region so that we may evaluate the possibility of their domestic use by drilling.
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