Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST) ISSN: 2458-9403 Vol. 4 Issue 5, May - 2017 Geo-Electric Evaluation Of Aquifer Protective Capacity And Groundwater Flow Pattern In Ogbia Local Government Of Bayelsa State, Nigeria Oborie, E and Oki, O. A Department of Geology, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Corresponding Author: [email protected], +2348061363420 Abstract—The groundwater flow pattern and water levels to areas where water levels are low; that aquifer protective capacity of overburden layers in is from below high ground, which are recharge areas, some communities of Ogbia in Bayelsa State was to groundwater discharge points in valleys or the sea. investigated to determine the vulnerability of The direction of flow is indicated by the slope of the groundwater resources due to infiltration and/or water table which is called the hydraulic gradient migration of potential contaminants. These [5].When groundwater is pumped from a borehole, the communities plays host to crude oil exploitation water level is lowered in the surrounding area. A activities, as such, environmental degradation hydraulic gradient is created in the aquifer which associated with these activities are commonplace. allows water to flow towards the borehole. The Spills, leachate plumes from dumpsite and waste difference between the original water level and the from septic tanks may contaminate the aquifers pumping level is the drawdown, which is equivalent to indiscriminately. Dar Zarrouk parameters obtained the head of water necessary to produce a flow from the geoelectric sounding was used to through the aquifer to the borehole. The surface of the evaluate the protective capacity of the soil, while pumping level is in the form of an inverted cone and is the groundwater flow pattern was determined by referred to as a cone of depression. Water flows into a contouring the hydraulic heads obtained from borehole from all directions in response to pumping elevation and static water level measurements in and as it is flowing through a decreasing cylindrical wells across the study area.12 vertical electrical area, the velocity increases as it converges towards soundings (VES) using the Schlumberger the borehole [4]. By knowing the direction of electrode configuration were occupied in the groundwater flow, communities can map out the land study area, longitudinal conductance values area that recharges their public supply wells and delineated areas with poor (less than 0.1 mho), thereby take steps to ensure that land use activities in weak (0.1 – 0.19 mho), moderate (0.2 – 0.69 mho) the recharge area will not pose a threat to the quality and good protective capacity (0.7 – 1.0 mho). The of groundwater and the resources dependent on it. geoelectric results suggest that sections of the Since contaminants generally move in the direction of aquifer underlying Otuasega and Imiringi groundwater flow, communities can also predict how communities have the least protective capacity contaminants might move through the local indices and thus were most vulnerable to groundwater system [12]. contamination due to infiltration and percolation. The study area comprises a number of This study has shown that groundwater flow is communities in Ogbia Local Government Area of generally from the northern part to the southern Bayelsa State; from Otuasega at the northern end regions in the study area; hence communities in through Ogbia to Emakalakala in the south. These the south are more likely to be adversely affected communities play host to a number of oil flow stations by contaminants transport within the aquifer and pipeline tie-points, as such, oil spillages from system. ruptured pipelines which adversely affect the Keywords—Groundwater, triangulation, aquifer ecosystem and possibly the groundwater are common vulnerability, flow direction, hydraulic head. place. Additionally, consequent upon urbanization is the increase in waste generation; hence, a common INTRODUCTION feature in the area is that refuse dumps are Groundwater is a complex, generally dilute, ubiquitous. Besides oil spills and poor refuse chemical solution. The chemical composition is management, the uncontrolled location and leakage of derived mainly from the dissolution of minerals in the domestic and industrial septic tanks are potent soil and the rocks with which it is or has been in sources that can contaminate the underlying aquifers. contact. The direction of groundwater flow follows a Considering these environmental challenges, there is curved path through an aquifer from areas of high dire need to have a picture of the subsurface www.jmest.org JMESTN42352177 7203 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST) ISSN: 2458-9403 Vol. 4 Issue 5, May - 2017 protective capacity of the aquifers and establish the groundwater flow pattern in the study area. Geophysical methods comprise of cost effective, rapid, non-invasive techniques that can be used to investigate the protective capacity of aquifers. Reference [6] showed that the combination of layer resistivity and thickness in the Dar Zarrouk parameters (longitudinal conductance) and (transverse resistance) may be of direct use in aquifer protection studies, and for the evaluation of hydrologic properties of aquifers because the protective capacity of a clayey aquifer overburden is proportional to its longitudinal unit conductance. The protective capacity is therefore considered to be proportional to the longitudinal unit conductance [8],[1]. PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF STUDY AREA The study area is located within longitude 6.34000 E and 6.39000 E and latitude 4.60000 N and 4.90000 N of the equator (Fig. 1) with an average elevation of about 15m above mean sea level. It lies within the saltwater and freshwater swamp geomorphic units of the Niger Delta Sedimentary Basin of Southern Nigeria which is characterized by nearly flat topography sloping very slightly seawards [3]. The Fig 1: Map of Ogbia showing the study area swamps are vegetated tidal flats formed by a reticulate pattern of interconnected meandering METHODOLOGY creeks and tributaries of the River Niger. The Niger Two distinct but hydrogeologically related field data Delta is located in the humid climatic region of the rain sets were obtained in the course of this study. Firstly, forest with characteristic seasonal and torrential down parameters necessary for the determination of the pours. It is influenced by both the Southwest Monsoon groundwater flow direction was acquired and secondly and North East Harmattan winds, although the Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) for the evaluation former's influence spans over two-thirds of the year. of the protective capacity of aquifers. Rainfall in the coastal belt of the Niger Delta is heavy due to the closeness of the delta region to the Determination of Hydraulic Head equator. Annual rainfall totals vary from 2400 mm The Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS) landwards to over 4800 mm at the coast [9]. which is satellite based equipment for position The geologic sequence of the Niger Delta consists determination was used to record the longitude, of three main tertiary subsurface lithostratigraphic latitude and surface elevations with respect to the units which are overlain by various types of mean sea level at selected borehole locations quaternary deposits [10]. The base of the unit is the distributed within the study area. A coaxial water level AkataFormation; it is comprised mainly of marine meter was used to measure the static water level in shales with some sand beds. The formation ranges in the wells. At each station, the well pump was turned thickness from about 550 m to over 6,000 m. Very off for at least two hours before measuring the water little hydrocarbon has been associated with the level to ensure that conditions are static (non- formation. The Agbada Formation is the overlying pumping) in the well. The coaxial water level meter is paralic sequence which consists of interbedded sands an electric device that uses a thin, round wire to and shale with a thickness of 300 m to about 4,500 m, transmit a signal to a buzzer when water is thinning both seawards and towards the Delta margin. encountered. This type of meter is useful in wells The topmost unit is the Benin Formation; it is where access to the borehole is narrow or if a pump is comprised of over 90 % sandstone with shale installed. Hydraulic head which is the elevation to intercalations. It is coarse grained, gravely, locally fine which water will naturally rise in a well was obtained grained, poorly sorted, sub angular to well-rounded by subtracting the depth to the static water level from and bears lignite streaks and wood fragments [2]. The the ground elevation with respect to the mean sea unit is thickest in the central area of the delta. The level. contact with the underlying Agbada formation is Resistivity Survey (VES) defined by the base of sandstones which also corresponds to the base of the fresh water bearing Vertical Electrical Sounding investigation using the strata. Schlumberger electrode configuration with a maximum current electrode spread (AB = 800 m) was www.jmest.org JMESTN42352177 7204 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST) ISSN: 2458-9403 Vol. 4 Issue 5, May - 2017 employed in this research. Twelve (12) vertical Groundwater Flow electrical soundings (VES) were carried out in close The parameters for the determination of proximity to the borehole locations. The Abem groundwater flow direction are presented in Table1. Terrameter SAS 1000, a self-averaging digital device Graphical contouring of the field measurements based was used for the field operation. The field procedure on triangular linear interpolation was first used to was carried out by applying current to the ground determine local groundwater flow for various sections through two electrodes (A and B) and then measuring of the study area to serve as a control for subsequent the resultant potential difference (ΔV) between the computer modeling and is diagrammatically illustrated potential electrodes (M and N).