Computer Science – Sound
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p13g..06h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P13G-06
Computer Science
Sound
[0694] Electromagnetics / Instruments And Techniques, [1829] Hydrology / Groundwater Hydrology, [1857] Hydrology / Reservoirs, [5494] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Instruments And Techniques
Scientific paper
Most of the global warming observations, scientific interest and data analyses have concentrated on the earth Polar Regions and forested areas, as they provide direct measurable impacts of large scale environmental changes. Unfortunately, the arid environments, which represent ~20% of the earth surface, have remained poorly studied. Yet water rarity and freshness, drastic changes in rainfall, flash floods, high rates of aquifer discharge and an accelerated large-scale desertification process are all alarming signs that suggest a substantial large-scale climatic variation in those areas that can be correlated to the global change that is affecting the volatile dynamic in arid zones. Unfortunately the correlations, forcings and feedbacks between the relevant processes (precipitation, surface fresh water, aquifer discharge, sea water rise and desertification) in these zones remain poorly observed, modeled, let alone understood. Currently, local studies are often oriented toward understanding small-scale or regional water resources and neither benefit from nor feedback to the global monitoring of water vapor, precipitation and soil moisture in arid and semi-arid areas. Furthermore techniques to explore deep subsurface water on a large scale in desertic environments remain poorly developed making current understanding of earth paleo-environment, water assessment and exploration efforts poorly productive and out-phased with current and future needs to quantitatively understand the evolution of earth water balance. To address those deficiencies we performed a comprehensive test mapping of shallow subsurface hydro-geological structures in the western Arabic peninsula in Kuwait, using airborne low frequency sounding radars with the main objectives to characterize shallow fossil aquifers in term of depth, sizes and water freshness. In May 2011, an experimental airborne radar sounder operating at 50 MHz was deployed in Kuwait and demonstrated an ability to penetrate down to the water table ~35 m deep in Um-Al-Aish and Al-Rawdateen aquifers located on the northern part of Kuwait. In addition the radar achieved penetration into several dry sediments down to 65 m deep mapping the succession of residual gravel deposits. The obtained radargrams of several kilometers-long traced the variability in the water table depth and identified the discharge location of the Al-Rawdateen aquifer. These radar cross-sections were verified through comparisons with water wells, Transient Electromagnetic Method and Resistivity profiles. We will discuss the implication of these results for performing future airborne and orbital detailed mapping of the occurrence and spatial distribution of shallow aquifers in the most arid desert regions on Earth to understand ground water hydrology, enhance ground water flow models and provide new insights into available water resources and recent paleo-climate changes.
Al-Rashed M.
Fadlelmawla A.
Farr Tom G.
Heggy Essam
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