Determination of areas with groundwater potential based on GIS and EMC techniques: a case study of the internal basins of Catalonia (El Darò, Rieras del Montgrí Empúries, Rec Sirvent)

Identifier:  TFG:2745

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG2745

Authors:  Essayah, Ikram

Abstract:
The aim of the present study is to determine the groundwater potential zones, using the Multicriteria Assessment based on Geographic Information System (GIS), and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in three representative watersheds; El Darò, Riera del Montgrí Empúries, and Rec Sirvent. A total of eleven thematic layers representing the factors controlling groundwater recharge and storage in the study area were employed and grouped into three categories. The first, topographic conditions, groups slope, general curvature, roughness, Topographic Position Index (IPT) and the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). Soil conditions are composed of geology, lithology, land use and land cover, drainage density, lineaments density. Finally, precipitation is a unique factor of the third group, environmental conditions. The thematic layers were integrated using Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) in a GIS environment to generate a Map of groundwater Potential Zone (MGPZ). The MGPZ is classified into five groundwater potential zones, “very low”, “low”, “medium”, “moderate”, “high” and covers 0.41%, 21.54%, 43.05%, 35%, and 0% respectively considering the whole study area. A sensitivity Analysis (SA) was performed using the One at a Time (OAT) method to understand the implications and impact of the different factors involved in GIS-MCA and AHP. In addition, MGPZ was validated against the location of 488 water wells in the study area and the result show a positive correlation. This study provides a solid and alternative basis for the planning and sustainable management of groundwater in the analyzed basins. It can be used as primary information for field work aimed at identifying the presence of groundwater as well.