Groundwater Through Geophysics: Review and Examples

Abstract

Geophysics, when applied to the study of groundwater, is commonly used in searching for rocks, structures or geological environments that can allow the extraction of water. It can also be used to estimate physical aquifer characteristics (porosity and permeability); to indicate water potability parameters, such as the degree of salinity or the presence of contamination by polluting chemicals; and also to give information on the contaminant transport and ecosystem sustainability. These applications are discussed here and presented examples of the use of geophysics in the main geological environments of occurrence of groundwater. The objective of this article is to review and demonstrate the importance of the application of Geophysics in the groundwater study.