Improved groundwater management in response to the Syrian refugee crisis
Report of the project:
Magnetotelluric measurement in the basalt field
Source: BGR
Jordan is one of the most arid countries in the world. The groundwater levels decline since decades and the groundwater quality deteriorates. With continuous abstraction at this level, water supply from the existing well fields would become uneconomical in the future. The treatment of the water would also get more complex and cost-intensive. As a result, the drinking water supply for the population of Northern Jordan is at risk. As a countermeasure, in order to maintain the drinking water supply in northern Jordan, the construction of new wellfields to the northeast of the existing ones is considered.
Overview map of the investigation area with TEM and MT soundings
Source: BGR
The BGR supports the partner ministry (Ministry of Water and Irrigation: MWI) in the exploration of a new well field, which is to replace old, poorly productive well fields. As part of the technical cooperation project "Improved groundwater resource management in response to the Syrian refugee crisis", experts from BGR and the Jordanian Natural Resources Authority (NRA) jointly examined the geological structures near the planned well field using electromagnetic methods.
Combining the exploration methods transient electromagnetics (TEM) and magnetotellurics (MT), both near-surface structures and aquifers at depths of 600-800 m were explored.
Both methods apply the principle of electromagnetic induction. TEM is an active method using an artificial signal generated by quickly switching the electrical current in laid out cable loop on and off. In contrast, MT is a passive method that uses natural sources such as the current systems in the ionosphere and magnetosphere and the emissions of lightning as signals and also enables the exploration of deeper structures (up to a few km depth).
1D MT Occam Inversion and Layered Inversion as a cross section along the profile P1
Source: BGR