Study of hydrogeological conditions of the Geghama range by the method of vertical electric sounding

The territory of the Geghama mountain range is characterized by dense irregularities of the hydrographic network. More than 70% of the surface of the Geghama ridge is covered with cracks of andesite, andesite-basalt, andesite-dacite composition. As a result of hydrogeological and geophysical studies, a discrepancy was revealed between the data of the water balance on the territory of the Geghama Ridge and the new and old (buried) watersheds. As a result of geophysical and hydrogeological studies of water resources in the drainage basin of Lake Sevan, the relationship between the newest and old watersheds of the mountain range was identified and clarified, the presence of deviations between the old and new watersheds was estimated. A four-electrode symmetric modification of the vertical electric sounding (VES) method was applied during geophysical studies on the territory of the Geghama Ridge. As a result of the conducted research, a map of the paleo relief layer of the entire territory of the Geghama ridge was compiled. In accordance with the compiled map, deviations of the regional water layer from the watershed to Lake Sevan, to the west and southwest are highlighted. In the northern part of the highlands, there is a mixture of modern and buried watersheds. As a result of complex studies, the values of the underground (deep) flow of the river basins of the Vedi and Azat rivers were determined (in some cases estimated). The main directions of movement of underground watercourses are highlighted, as well as the distribution of the newest and old (buried) watersheds in relation to each other. Based on the regularity of the formation of an underground stream, the need to localize and search for additional sources of water supply, it is important to clarify the boundaries of buried watersheds that require additional research.

Vardanyan V. P., Margaryan V. G., Nazarenko О. V. Study of hydrogeological conditions of the Geghama range by the method of vertical electric sounding. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2024;(3):70-81. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2024_3_0_70.

V.P. Vardanyan¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, e-mail: v.vardanyan@ysu.am, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1501-9543,
V.G. Margaryan¹, Cand. Sci. (Geogr.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: vmargaryan@ysu.am, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3498-0564,
О.V. Nazarenko, Cand. Sci. (Geogr.), Assistant Professor, Institute of Earth Sciences, Southern Federal University, 344090, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, e-mail: ovnazarenko@sfedu.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8515-4241,
¹ Yerevan State University, 0025, Erevan, Armenia.

V.G. Margaryan, e-mail: vmargaryan@ysu.am.

1. Chandra S., Dewandel B., Dutta S., Ahmed S. Geophysical model of geological discontinuities in a granitic aquifer: Analyzing small scale variability of electrical resistivity for groundwater occurrences. Applied Geophysics. 2010, vol. 71, pp. 137—148. DOI: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2010.06.003.

2. Massoud E. C., Purdy A. J., Miro M. E., Famiglietti J. S. Projecting groundwater storage changes in California’s Central Valley. Scientific Reports. 2018, vol. 8, article 12917.

3. Asry Z., Samsudin A. R., Yaacob W. Z., Yaakub J. Groundwater investigation using electrical resistivity imaging technique at Sg. Udang, Melaka, Malaysia. Bulletin of the Geological Society Malaysia. 2012, vol. 58, pp. 55—58.

4. Abd El-Dayem M., Abd El-Gawad A., Bedair S., Farag K. S. I. Groundwater resource evaluation using geoelectrical resistivity survey in the Ghard El-Hunishat area of New Delta project province, North Western Desert, Egypt. Groundwater for Sustainable Development. 2023, vol. 21, article 100918. DOI: 10.1016/j.gsd.2023.100918.

5. Azhar M. A., Suryadi A., Samsudin A. R., Yaacob W. Z. W., Saidin A. N. 2D geo-electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) of hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. 2016, vol. 21, pp. 299—304.

6. Chidiebere Chukwu Ani, Chibuike Akpa, Philip Njoku Obasi, Anthony Chukwu Integrated electrical resistivity methods for evaluation of fracture terrain groundwater potentials, case study of indurated shale of Lower Benue trough, Southeastern Nigeria. Groundwater for Sustainable Development. 2023, vol. 23, article 101014. DOI: 10.1016 /j.gsd.2023.101014.

7. Hamzah U., Ismail M. A., Samsudin A. R. Geophysical techniques in the study of hydrocarboncontaminated soil. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia. 2008, vol. 54, pp. 133—138. DOI: 10.7186/bgsm2008020.

8. Hasan M., Shang Y., Akhter G., Jin W. Geophysical assessment of groundwater potential: A case study from Mian Channu Area, Pakistan. Groundwater. 2018, vol. 56, pp. 783—796.

9. Akhter G., Hasan M. Determination of aquifer parameters using geoelectrical sounding and pumping test data in Khanewal District, Pakistan. Open Geosciences. 2016, vol. 8, pp. 630—638. DOI: 10.1515/geo-2016-0071.

10. Oguama B. E., Ibuot J. C., Obiora D. N. Geohydraulic study of aquifer characteristics in parts of Enugu North Local Government area of enugu state using electrical resistivity soundings. Applied Water Science. 2020, vol. 10, pp. 1—10.

11. Niwas S., Singhal D. C. Estimation of aquifer transmissivity from Dar-Zarrouk parameters in Porous Media. Hydrology. 1981, vol. 50, pp. 393—399.

12. Margaryan V. G. Long-term fluctuations in the annual runoff of rivers flowing into Lake Sevan under the current climate change. Ukrainian Geographical Journal. 2021, vol. 4, pp. 30—38. https: // ukrgeojournal.org.ua/en/node/729.

13. Minasyan R. S., Hayroyan S. H., Qaramyan R. A., Igityan H. A., Gevorgyan A. H. Exploration of paleohydrogeological structure of the Sevan intermediate depth in connection with the study of its paleoclimatic. Obrazovaniye i nauka v Artsakhe. 2018, no. 3-4, pp. 82—86. [In Russ].

14. Margaryan V. G. Geological and hydrogeological structure of river basins and soil composition as an important factor in the formation of the stream flow of the territory (on the example of the Debed river basin). Mining Science and Technology (Russia). 2018, no. 4, pp. 3—9. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.17073/2500-0632-2018-4-3-9.

15. Avetisyan V. A. On the formation of the waters of the andesite-basalt lavas of Armenia. Voprosy geologii i gidrogeologii Armyanskoy SSR [Issues of geology and hydrogeology of the Armenian SSR], Erevan, Izd. AN Arm. SSR, 1956, pp. 191—195. [In Russ].

16. Margaryan V. G., Sayadyan H. Y., Sedrakyan A. M. Assessment of the current state of the hydrochemical regime and water-environmental problems of the basin of the Gavaraget river flowing into Lake Sevan. Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories. 2023, vol. 15, no. 3. DOI: 10.21177/1998-4502-2023-15-3-619-630.

17. Vardanyan V. P. Distribution of underground drain of catchment basin of Sevan lake (according to the data of electrosounding and drilling). Uchenyye zapiski YeGU. Geologiya i geografiya. 2018, no. 2, pp. 79—87. [In Russ].

18. Adi Suryadi, Dewandra Bagus Eka Putra, Husnul Kausarian, Budi Prayitno, Reza Fahlepi Groundwater exploration using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) Method at Toro Jaya, Langgam, Riau. Geoscience Engineering Environment and Technology. 2018, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 226—230. DOI: 10.24273/ jgeet.2018.3.4.2226.

19. Virupaksha H. S., Lokesh K. N. Electrical resistivity, remote sensing and geographic information system approach for mapping groundwater Potential Zones in Coastal Aquifers of Gurpur Watershed. Geocarto International. 2019, vol. 36, no. 6. DOI: 10.1080/10106049.2019.1624986.

20. El Makrini S., Boualoul M., Mamouch Y., El Makrini H., Allaoui A., Randazzo G., Roubil A., El Hafyani M., Lanza S., Muzirafuti A. Vertical electrical sounding (VES) technique to map potential aquifers of the Guigou Plain (Middle Atlas, Morocco): Hydrogeological implications. Applied Sciences. 2022, vol. 12, no. 24, article 12829. DOI: 10.3390/app122412829.

21. Azizan F. A., Aznan A. A., Ruslan R., Nazari M., Jaafar M. N. Groundwater assessment using geophysical survey at insat, Perlis, Malaysia. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 2018, vol. 429, no. 1, article 012026. DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/429/1/012026.

22. De Almeida A., Maciel D. F., Sousa K. F., Nascimento C. T. C., Koide S. Vertical electrical sounding (VES) for estimation of hydraulic parameters in the porous aquifer. Water. 2021, vol. 13, article 170. DOI: 10.3390 /w13020170.

23. Ammar A. I., Kamal K. A. Effect of structure and lithological heterogeneity on the correlation coefficient between the electric—hydraulic parameters of the Aquifer, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Applied Water Science. 2019, vol. 9, pp. 1—21.

24. Hamzah Umar, Samsudin Abdul Rahim, Malim Edna Pilis Groundwater investigation in Kuala Selangor using vertical electrical sounding (VES) surveys. Environmental Geology. 2007, vol. 51, no. 8, pp. 1349—1359.

25. Hardianshah Saleh, Abdul Rahim Samsudin Samsudin Application of vertical electrical sounding (VES) in subsurface geological investigation for potential aquifer in Lahad Datu, Sabah. AIP Conference Proceedings. 2013, vol. 1571, pp. 432—437. DOI: 10.1063/1.4858694.

26. Arunbose S., Srinivas Y., Rajkumar S. Efficacy of hydrological investigation in Karumeniyar river basin, Southern Tamil Nadu, India using vertical electrical sounding technique: A case study. MethodsX. 2021, vol. 8, article 101215. DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2021.101215.

27. María del Pilar Chávez Pacheco, Jhoel Anderson Caysahuana Flores, Diego Jose Julian Salvador, Tito Mallma Capcha Vertical electrical sounding method to detect groundwater and design of a tubular well for the pampas district — Peru. Civil Engineering and Architecture. 2023, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 1984—2006. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110423.

28. Nils Perttu, Kamhaeng Wattanasen, Khamphouth Phommasone, Sten-Åke Elming Characterization of aquifers in the Vientiane Basin, Laos, using magnetic resonance sounding and vertical electrical sounding. Applied Geophysics. 2011, vol. 73, no. 3, pp. 207—220. DOI: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2011.01.003.

29. Vardanyan V. P., Grigoryan M. A. Studies of resources of underground waters of the river basins of the Azat and Vedi rivers by the method of VES of electrical prospecting. Uchenyye zapiski YeGU. Geologiya i geografiya. 2021, no. 55(1). [In Russ].

30. Minasyan R. S., Vardanyan V. P. Paleorel'ef i raspredelenie podzemnogo stoka Tsentral'nogo vulkanicheskogo nagor'ya Armenii [Paleorelief and distribution of underground runoff of the Central volcanic highlands of Armenia], Erevan, 2003, 151 p.