TY - GEN
T1 - Resolving Groundwater Conduits in Hyper-Arid Eroded Karsts Using High-Resolution L-Band SAR and Optical Images
AU - Normand, Jonathan C.L.
AU - Heggy, Essam
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 IEEE.
PY - 2020/9/26
Y1 - 2020/9/26
N2 - Resolving structural elements in hyper-arid eroded karstic environments is crucial to assess their role as groundwater conduits governing the dynamic of these complex and least characterized hydrogeological systems. Of particular interest is the fine mapping of fractured carbonate sedimentary formations in Qatar Peninsula as it provides crucial insights into characterizing the dynamic of karst systems in fossil aquifers. To achieve this objective, we vectorize 3107 km of transverse tension fractures and joints at a 1:6000 scale, trending WNW-ESE and W-E around the N-S Qatar-Arch anticline in Qatar, using both L-Band SAR orbital scenes and high-resolution aerial photography. We distinguish three highly fractured areas of 15x15 km each that are correlated to areas showing upward leakage and groundwater mounding. Our preliminary results suggest these fractures to act as vertical and horizontal conduits for groundwater, from the different fossil aquifer systems in the Qatar peninsula. Validations using semi-empirical backscattering model derived from SAR and ground penetrating radar acquisitions as well as correlation to potentiometric and Total Dissolved Solids maps will be necessary to further quantify the phenomena.
AB - Resolving structural elements in hyper-arid eroded karstic environments is crucial to assess their role as groundwater conduits governing the dynamic of these complex and least characterized hydrogeological systems. Of particular interest is the fine mapping of fractured carbonate sedimentary formations in Qatar Peninsula as it provides crucial insights into characterizing the dynamic of karst systems in fossil aquifers. To achieve this objective, we vectorize 3107 km of transverse tension fractures and joints at a 1:6000 scale, trending WNW-ESE and W-E around the N-S Qatar-Arch anticline in Qatar, using both L-Band SAR orbital scenes and high-resolution aerial photography. We distinguish three highly fractured areas of 15x15 km each that are correlated to areas showing upward leakage and groundwater mounding. Our preliminary results suggest these fractures to act as vertical and horizontal conduits for groundwater, from the different fossil aquifer systems in the Qatar peninsula. Validations using semi-empirical backscattering model derived from SAR and ground penetrating radar acquisitions as well as correlation to potentiometric and Total Dissolved Solids maps will be necessary to further quantify the phenomena.
KW - Aquifers
KW - Fractures
KW - Groundwater mounding
KW - Karst
KW - Synthetic Aperture Radar
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101992562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/IGARSS39084.2020.9324286
DO - 10.1109/IGARSS39084.2020.9324286
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85101992562
T3 - International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS)
SP - 5143
EP - 5146
BT - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2020 - Proceedings
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2020
Y2 - 26 September 2020 through 2 October 2020
ER -