Potential of groundwater occurrence using geoelectrical and magnetic data: A case study from south Wadi Hagul area, the northern part of the Eastern Desert, Egypt

The present study aims to assess the aquifers and delineate the subsurface structures which control the aquifers' geometry using geoelectrical and ground magnetic data. Twenty-four vertical electrical soundings were measured and interpreted, revealing six geoelectrical layers that range in age from the Middle Eocene to Quaternary. The freshwater aquifer exists in the Upper Miocene section and represents the primary source for drinking water and domestic utilizes. The freshwater aquifer has a thickness ranging from 19 to 49 m. It lies at a depth ranging between 2 and 10 m. The brackish water aquifer coincides with the Middle Miocene section and represents a valuable water source for industrial uses. The preferable zones for drilling new water wells correspond to the eastern, northwestern, and southwestern areas. One hundred twelve ground magnetic stations were measured with a spacing interval of 200 m and interpreted to determine the basement depth and detect the fault systems that dissect the area. The magnetic data interpretation indicates that the basement depth is shallow at the western part and increases toward the eastern part, reflecting a thickening of the sedimentary cover at the eastern side. The magnetic data also reveals that the aquifers' geometry and the subsurface setting are controlled by the NW-SE, NE-SW, and N-S structural trends.