Classification of Aquifer Vulnerability by Using the DRASTIC Index and Geo-Electrical Techniques

Abstract

Vulnerability analysis in areas vulnerable to anthropogenic pollution has become a key element of sensible resource management and land use planning. This study is intended to estimate aquifer vulnerability using the DRASTIC model and using the vertical electrical sounding (VES) and electrical conductivity (EC) outcomes. The model allows for the identification of hydrogeological environments within the scope of the research, based on a composite definition of each environment’s main geological, geoelectrical, and hydrogeological factors. The results from the DRASTIC model were divided into four equal intervals, high, medium, low, and very low drastic index values. The SW area and NE area depict drastic index values from medium to very high, making it the most vulnerable zone in the study area, while the NW and SW areas show low to very low drastic index values. In addition, the results from the VES and EC the freshwater aquifer in the NE area and brackish water in the SE area, while the rest of the area falls into the category of brackish water. Overall, it can be concluded that areas having freshwater assemblages are on the verge of becoming contaminated in the future while the rest of the NW and SW areas constitute less vulnerable zones. The validation conducted for DRASTIC and EC shows a nearly positive correlation. Wastewater treatment policies must be developed throughout the studied region to prevent contamination of the remaining groundwater.

Monitoring of Land Use–Land Cover Change and Potential Causal Factors of Climate Change in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, through GIS and Multi-Temporal Satellite Data

“…A total of 54% of the farmers perceived that significant variations have occurred in the rainfall volume, beginning of the planting period, spreading of the harvesting time, and irregular drought circumstances which occasionally happen in the growth phase. The same decreases in rainfall and increasing drought conditions have been reported in other areas of Pakistan [63,64]. About 25% of the farmers supposed that their livings face many fluctuations due to the rise in the temperature in the study area.…”

Evaluation of Vegetation Indices and Phenological Metrics Using Time-Series MODIS Data for Monitoring Vegetation Change in Punjab, Pakistan

“…The mean monthly VI data based on the 2000 to 2019 time series was used to calculate the mean monthly VIs [50]. Equation ( 1) was used to calculate every pixel of 20 years of arithmetic mean VI m , with n and VI m represent the number of years and the monthly VIs value, respectively.…”

Application of Electrical Resistivity and DRASTIC Models in the Study of Groundwater Contamination Risk in the Surroundings of the Hulene - B Waste Dump, Maputo, Mozambique

“…The risk index of groundwater contamination in the surrounding of the Hulene B waste dump has been determined based on the DRASTIC model. This model has been commonly used in studies of areas where geographical, hydrogeological information is available and has been successfully applied in different regions (Anshumala et al 2021;Shah et al 2021). The model has been applied to determine the groundwater vulnerability index of the watershed (Aller 1987).…”

“…A recent systematization study on the application of the DRASTIC model to groundwater vulnerability assessment made by Voudouris (2021) showed that many studies applied the DRASTIC method for larger areas > 40 ha and combined it with ArcGIS (Persaud & Levison, 2021). However, recently Shah et al (2021) applied DRASTIC and electrical conductivity to assess groundwater vulnerability in a small area in Safdar Abad Tehsil, Pakistan and demonstrated the role of lithologies of different resistivity in controlling contamination. In this study, the analysis covers an area of about ∼ 32 ha.…”

“…The hydraulic conductivity was assigned a value of 2 and was assigned based on (Muchimbane 2010) data which estimates the hydraulic conductivity of the Hulene -B waste district at 1-5 m/day. Shah et al (2021) and George (2021) demonstrated that groundwater vulnerability analysis using a combination of electrical resistivity and DRASTIC has successfully achieved good results and reduces generalizability in risk assessment.…”