Hydro Geophysical Investigation of Ninja and Environ Sheet 188 North Central Nigeria
Keywords:
Groundwater Potentials, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), Hydro-geophysical, Groundwater Quality, ResistivityAbstract
Adequate and current information on the availability, distribution and amount of mineral and water resources is of high importance especially for the purpose of planning communities. This research aimed at investigating the hydro-geographical features of the study area through the use of electrical resistivity sounding, using the Schlumberger electrode. Configurations were done for ground water at Ninja and environ sheet 188 Northeast (NE), Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The area is underlain by the Basement Complex rocks, underlain by medium-coarse grained granite and granite gneiss. A total of thirty (30) vertical electrical sounding (VES) points were sounded with a maximum AB/2 of 100m. The data were processed using the IX1D Software which allowed for curve matching. The curves obtained in the study area are the HA, QH, and KH and AH type. The area is characterized by five geo-electric layers including: top soil (170- 3740 ῼm) up to 3m below ground surface; lateritic layer (260-2374ῼm) from 2m to 20m; weathered basement (100-500ῼm) from 2m to 20m; fractured basement (250-700ῼm) from 2m to 15m and finally, fresh basement (1000-7000ῼm) to infinity. The resistivity of the aquifer ranged from 100 to 500 m with thicknesses between 2 and 15 m. To attain an appropriate output of groundwater, the geophysical survey's depth to the aquifer ranged from 30 to 58 meters which is very prolific in terms of ground water potential suggesting good points for siting boreholes and hand dug wells.