Hydrogeological potential in soft formations and hard rocks: A case study in the Cauca River Canyon, Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

From the end of 2020 until July 2021, the first phase of a study that evaluated the hydrogeological potential in tropical dry forest (TDF) areas took place in the bosque seco tropical (BS-T), which was associated with the Cauca River Canyon in the jurisdiction of Corantioquia. Based on the litho-structural evaluation of the area, hypotheses were established by which conditions of greater or lesser aquifer potential were assigned according to the different types of geological materials present. The first step to confirm these hypotheses was an inventory of groundwater points. The results indicated the existence of more than 1172 points, including springs, hand-dug wells, galleries and wells.Relating the occurrence of these water points with the lithological units, approximately 560 points in Quaternary deposits and rocks of the Amagá Formation and the Urrao Member of the Penderisco Formation were found; 146 were located in volcano-sedimentary deposits of the Combia Formation, and more than 466 were associated with hard rocks. It is thus concluded that in the study area, the igneous and metamorphic rocks, intensely affected by tectonic effects, have gained permeability conditions, which was evidenced by field observations, which confer aquifer conditions. This finding provides new research perspectives toward fractured environments and presents groundwater as a main and alternative source to meet the needs of the population, in addition to playing a fundamental role in terms of the ecosystem sustainability of the tropical dry forest.