Geoelectrical Investigation of Groundwater at Northern Gaza Strip, Palestine

Abstract

A vertical electrical sounding survey was carried out in northern Gaza Strip (Gaza City, Jibalya, Bayt Lahya and Bayt Hanun), Palestine to study the groundwater conditions and evaluate its quality and distribution. The survey included twenty-six (26) traverses with variable lengths in the range 200-500 m. The geoelectrical survey revealed that the resistivity of the study area varies in a wide range mostly 9 to 850 Ωm, subdivided into three subsurface zones. The first zone represents the dry sandstone and alluvial that attains the highest resistivities (100-850 Ωm) with variable thicknesses in the range 26-80 m beneath the whole study area. This zone is characterized by the presence of thin layers of clay and silt in some localities that reduced the resistivity to 15-25 Ωm. The second zone represents the fresh water saturated calcareous sandstone (locally named Kurkur) with resistivities in the range 22 -39 Ωm). The thicknesses of this zone is about 55-70 m in the western part of the study area and increased to 110 m in the east. The surface of this zone shows a gentle westward gradient, which indicates a general flow of water towards the Mediterranean Sea. The third zone represents saline water saturation with low resistivities, mostly 9 Ωm -10 Ωm close to the Mediterranean shore, located at 60 m below sea level and 100 m beneath the eastern side of the study area. Beneath the eastern part of the study area, an anomalous low resistivity of 2-3 Ωm is observed within the fresh water zone, which indicates groundwater pollution near the buffer zone caused by agriculture activities and untreated pumped wastewater.