Abstract:
The problem of water shortage has been increasingly developed due to the climate
change and growth in the population size. Also, the loss of water through the
discharges into the sea is added to this problem. Therefore, water issues have become
of great concern, notably in arid regions, and the Arabian Peninsula is a typical
example. It has an average precipitation rate of less than 200mm, besides high
evaporation rate that exceeds 60% of precipitated water.
The western coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an area under water-stress;
especially in the regions where the Holly cities are located. However, the available on
water resources are still inadequate and incomprehensive, because the area has rugged
topography and it is relatively vast to work on. This, in turn, exposes the essential role
of space technology studying such areas. In this respect, satellite images, and more
certainly those characterized with high spatial resolution, are able to identify different
clues on the geomorphological and geological features, which can provide
information on groundwater storage and flow conduits.
This study is a typical example to the use of space technology and Geographic
Information System GIS, which are applied on Wadi Aurnah Watershed. Hence,
satellite images of Landsat 7 ETM+ and ASTER were processed using ERDAS
Imagine software, among which the major elements controlling groundwater
accumulation and flow were determined. The majority of these elements are: rainfall,
drainage systems, lineaments, lithology and land cover/ use. All these elements were
manipulated in GIS system, and each of them was given a certain rate of
effectiveness. Thus, a map describing groundwater potential zones was produced. It
shows five major zones with different possibilities for groundwater storage, as well as
it reveals the major groundwater conduits that transport water to the sea. Therefore, a
range between 15-20% of the studies area is characterized by high groundwater
potentiality. This is located mainly in areas where effective geologic structures exist,
and more certainly along the major faults that divided the area into tectonic blocks.
Keyword: geomorphology, groundwater, faults, Landsat7, Arabian Peninsula.
Dr. Machaael Bent Mohamed Al Saud
Professeur Associé de Recherche à l’Institut de recherche Spatiale dans la ville de Roi Abdul Aziz de science et technologie
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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