GROUNDWATER EXPLORATION IN NORTH KUWAIT

The study area, Umm Al-Madlfi', is located 95 km north of Kuwait City, between 29 degrees:52'-30 degrees:00' North latitudes, and 47 degrees :10'-47 degrees:35' East longitudes, and covers an area of 500 km(2). The objectives of this study are to search for fresh/brackish water in the north of Kuwait, to delineate the aquifer extent both vertically and horizontally, and to locate the fresh/brackish/saline water interf aces in the Kuwait Group aquifers. Accordingly, 197 vertical electrica l soundings (V.E.S) were carried out in the study area, using Schlumbe rger configuration AB/2 147-681 m and soundings were 1-2 km apart. A d irect current resistivity ABEM TERRAMETER SAS 300B was used in the fie ld. The data from held curves were interpreted manually using the auxi liary point master curves; furthermore, these data were treated arithm etically using ABEM Super-VES PC, version 1.0 computer program adopted by Atlas Copco. The apparent resistivity values (rho a) were plotted against half-current electrode separation AB/2 on transparent double l og graph paper of modulus 62.5 mm. It is found that most of the held c urves are composed of five layers: KQQ type (rho(1) < rho(2) > rho(3) > rho(4); QHK (rho(1) > rho(2) > rho(3) < rho(4) > rho(5)); KQH (rho(1 ) < rho(2) > rho(3) > rho(4) < rho(5)) and KHK type (rho(1) < rho(2) > rho(3) < rho(4) > rho(5)). The measured resistivity at different elec trode separation AB/2 = 147 m, 215 m and 316 m showed decrease in resi stivity values with depth which may be the result of either an increas e in groundwater salinity or clay-sandy layers. Some electrical resist ivity measurements showed an increase towards the east of the study ar ea (towards Al-Rawdhatain) which is explained by the presence of lense s of fresh water in this direction. The chemical analyses data proved that the groundwater is a brackish, NaCl water type, and the salinity ranges from 5,000 to 11,000 mg/l.