Exploration and evaluation of potential groundwater aquifers and subsurface structures at Beni Suef area in southern Egypt

In recent years, the rapidly growing population of Egypt has increasingly stressed water resources necessitating concentrated and systematic efforts to find alternative water resources to meet the increased water demand. This study aims to assess and evaluate hydrological setting of Beni Suef, Egypt using geophysical survey and geochemical analysis: an integrated approach. We conducted a land magnetic survey to map the subsurface structures down to the basement, followed by a geoelectric resistivity survey to locate potential groundwater aquifers. Well logs from 10 wells were used to constrain the interpretations of the acquired data. Geochemical analyses of 10 water samples collected from available water wells was conducted to evaluate groundwater quality for agriculture and drinking purposes. The results of the magnetic and geoelectric surveys enabled imaging of the geological setting, the dominant structures and a potential groundwater aquifer in the area. The results indicated that the main aquifer is a shaly-limestone layer located at depths ranging from 20 to 150 m below ground surface. The data detected a series of normal faults that most likely represent subvertical conduits responsible for recharging the delineated aquifer. The outlined aquifer thickness as well as sources of groundwater recharge indicate that this aquifer may not provide sustainable supply for agricultural development purposes. Furthermore, the groundwater quality test indicated that certain treatments are necessary to make this water safe for drinking.