International Journal of Hydrology Research Article Open Access Geographical and hydrological effects of nubian sandstone formations on ground water in Khartoum State – Sudan Abstract Volume 4 Issue 6 - 2020 The research deals with the geographical and hydrological location of Khartoum state Mohammed Ahmed Hag Ali Alzubair within the scope of the Nubian sandstone extension, and the effects of this on groundwater. Physical geography, University of Khartoum, Sudan To achieve this, 9 samples were analyzed from the wells dug in Omdurman, Khartoum and Bahri to identify the structure and composition of layers and depths of water, in addition Correspondence: Mohammed Ahmed Hag Ali Alzubair, to 30 other samples for chemical analysis And the physical of some elements to know the Physical geography, University of Khartoum, Sudan, Al wide specifications of water and its suitability for human use. The research concluded with a Rood, Omdurman, Sudan, Tel 00249912040, P.O. Box 406, number of results, including that there is a difference in the components of the Nubian Email sandstone, as its percentage in Omdurman is 67%, the number of layers 10 and Khartoum 71% and the number of layers 16, and in Bahri 82% and the number of layers 21 and thus Received: September 27, 2020 | Published: November 06, it is higher than Omdurman and Khartoum. Water levels vary even within the region from 2020 one well to another in Omdurman, which is located at depths of 490, 690, and 800 feet, and in Bahri, it is located at depths of 530, 690, and 725 feet, and the hose is located at depths of 340, 505, and 585 feet. Soluble, nitrite and mineral compounds are good according to Global standards for water except for a few of them, with the high level of ammonia in Omdurman and Khartoum higher than 0.1mg/l, which is an indicator of pollution. Keywords: geography, hydrology, geological, wells, groundwater, Nubian sandstone Introduction deposited by the air, and that it was ancient sand dunes. The lack of fossils in this formation was one of the reasons that led to this belief, The Information Center and Groundwater Management in as most of the excavations that were dated are fixed and difficult to 1 Khartoum explained that the Nubian sandstone basins, the Gezira distinguish, such as tree trunks found in the Al Markhiyat Mountains formations, valley sediments and some types of basic rocks from the west of Omdurman in Sudan.4 Some believe that the formation of the aquifer layers in the state of Khartoum. The Nubian Sandy Basin has a Nubian sandstone is marine due to the nature of its precipitation in the storage capacity of about 77 billion cubic meters, and a depth of more form of rings and layers, and these air sediments are excluded because 2 than 150 meters below the basin surface. While the Gezira basin has a the winds carry large granules.9 We find that the sedimentation is 3 3 capacity of about 8,3billion cubicty meter . The annual flow from the aerobic if more than 50% of the sediment components have diameters aquifers in Khartoum State of the basin water is about 70 million cubic ranging from 0.02 – 0.05g, and that the aerobic sediments may be meters, The annual variable of stock in the areas bordering the Nile is transported and re-deposited by water.10,11 Distinguished a difference 4 estimated at 100 million cubic meters. The quality of the water varies between aqueous and aerobic sediments that may be transported, and according to the classes, as the percentage of salts in the base rocks found that the components dominated by granules with diameters ranges between 1400-100mg per liter, and the Nubian Sandy Basin greater than 0.03mm lived a long distance water transport process, between 200 – 500mg per liter and may increase from 700 to 5500mg while those of sediments with a diameter of less than 0.067mm were per liter in some areas. As for the carrier layer to the components transported and deposited by wind. of the Gezira, the percentage of salts ranges between 200-200 mg per liter. Therefore, there is a high percentage of dissolved salts in Regarding the age of formation of the Nubian sandstone, the state.5 Joseph Roosper in 1837 was the first to mention the term Whitemam8 indicated that its age dates back to before the beginning Nubian sandstone, which was used as an indication of fossil sandstone of the third geological time, Tertiay. Medani12 states that the period within sections of the Paleozoic period.6 They are flat sedimentary during which sandstone, mudstone, and limestone was deposited, rocks found at the top of the basement complex and spread over large spanned about 80 million years. Abu-Zeid13 referred to the Nubian areas, as they cover 55% from the surface of the earth, and constitute sandstone at the end of the second geological time and the sediments most of the North African formations.7 The Nubian sandstone is spread over it during the Jura and Cretaceous periods. Edwards,14 part of this large formation and covers in Sudan the northern state, considered the potassium and basalt intersecting the formation of Khartoum and parts From North Darfur and North Kordofan (Figures the Nubian sandstone to be dated to the per-late cretace. Cox also 1&2). The formation of the Nubian sandstone is characterized by explained that the age of formation of the Nubian sandstone dates the horizontal and sometimes inclined layers above the basement back to the Oligocene and Pliocene periods. complex, and its layers are on average about 105 meters thick. The The formation of the Nubian sandstone includes multiple resources, composition of the Nubian sandstone is characterized by homogeneity including the ecological soil at the starting point below the surface. In in the composition, with differences in the rock composition, as well the surface of the soil, bicarbonate is clearly concentrated, and soils 8 as interspersed with some coverings of mudstone. are poor in organic resources. Sandy soils in the Nubian sandstone Researchers differed in the nature of the conditions in which formation are raised by wind, with a high percentage of lime. Celtic the Nubian sandstone was formed, and some believed that it was soils were formed by rivers and clay soils in the formation of Nubian Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Int J Hydro. 2020;4(6):270‒279. 270 ©2020 Alzubair. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Geographical and hydrological effects of nubian sandstone formations on ground water in Khartoum Copyright: 271 State – Sudan ©2020 Alzubair sandstone are characterized by brown to red brown and large areas in its alkalinity decreases to reach (7-8) and its minerals are more the formation surface covered by gravel and stone soils, and the soil likely to reach the lower extended rocks. in most areas of formation contains between 85-90% of the dark iron b. It is found between hills and flood plains with a slope rate ranging minerals, and it also contains Lime and gypsum in clay have higher between 1: 400 – 1: 100, and its thickness reaches three meters dark levels and the degree of alkalinity (H. P) is low.15 on average, and the percentage of clay in it reaches 60%, lime between 2-4% and the degree of alkalinity (H. P) It has about 0.08 of its minerals Local rocks. This mud is slowly transported down the gradient by overlying surface drainage, sometimes with weeds. c. It is found in the erosion and flood plains, and the thickness of the clay in it is about five meters on average. Its consistency is 70% heavier; it is rich in salts and sometimes contains gypsum. The basement complex and sandy and clay stones change frequently and are 500 meters in thickness, their color is between light yellow or gray and pink, and their texture is very rough to smooth according to the size of the particles and have high water 16 Source: From the researcher’s work, depending on the information of the.26 storage properties. Strips of Ironstcone sit alongside white, red 8 Figure 1 The Limits of the Nubian sandstone in Sudan. and pink clay rocks, along with wireline sand rocks. With regard to groundwater resources in the formation of the Nubian sandstone, we find that the formation is the richest of groundwater reservoirs with its regularity and homogeneity of its composition and its extension over large distances, and the coefficient of water infiltration within it is considered high, when it reaches 18-900 meters3 per day and this is due to the high permeability of the formation rocks. Between 0.05-19m/day. The depth of the aquifers ranges from a few meters to 2000 meters.17 The Arab Region for Agricultural Development in Khartoum18 indicated that groundwater accumulation in the formation of the Nubian sandstone is close to the surface in some areas, as is the case in the oases of the Sahara Desert, and its temperature ranges between 30-35 Celsius, and it is fresh and suitable for use in general. Where the amount of dissolved salts ranges between 80-300 parts per million, and carbonate, calcium bicarbonate and sodium are the most Figure 2 Source: Survey and Urban Planning Department, Khartoum, 2001.21 important components of the dissolved mineral salts in them. Study area Khartoum State lies between longitude 31.5 – 34.45 degrees east and latitude 15.8 – 16.45 degrees north. It is bordered from the west by the state of North Kordofan, by the Gezira and the White Nile from the south, by Kassala and Gedaref from the east, and the River Nile, Northern from the north.