Tetteh T. Akiti

Estimating groundwater recharge from water isotope (δ2H, δ18O) depth profiles in the Densu River basin, Ghana

Abstract Accurate estimation of groundwater recharge is essential for the proper management of aquifers. A study of water isotope (δ2H, δ18O) depth profiles was carried out to estimate groundwater recharge in the Densu River basin in Ghana, at three chosen observation sites that differ in their altitude, geology, climate and vegetation. Water isotopes and water contents were analysed with depth to determine water flow in the unsaturated zone. The measured data showed isotope enrichment in the pore water near the soil surface due to evaporation. Seasonal variations in the isotope signal of the pore water were also observed to a depth of 2.75 m. Below that depth, the seasonal variation of the isotope signal was attenuated due to diffusion/dispersion and low water flow velocities. Groundwater recharge rates were determined by numerical modelling of the unsaturated water flow and water isotope transport. Different groundwater recharge rates were computed at the three observation sites and were found to vary between 94 and 182 mm/year (± max. 7%). Further, the approximate peak-shift method was applied to give information about groundwater recharge rates. Although this simple method neglects variations in flow conditions and only considers advective transport, it yielded mean groundwater recharge rates of 110–250 mm/year (± max. 30%), which were in the same order of magnitude as computed numerical modelling values. Integrating these site-specific groundwater recharge rates to the whole catchment indicates that more water is potentially renewed than consumed nowadays. With increases in population and irrigation, more clean water is required, and knowledge about groundwater recharge rates – essential for improving the groundwater management in the Densu River basin – can be easily obtained by measuring water isotope depth profiles and applying a simple peak-shift approach. Citation Adomako, D., Maloszewski, P., Stumpp, C., Osae, S. & Akiti, T. T. (2010) Estimating groundwater recharge from water isotope (δ2H, δ18O) depth profiles in the Densu River basin, Ghana. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(8), 1405–1416.

Application of geochemical and stable isotopic tracers to investigate groundwater salinity in the Ochi-Narkwa Basin, Ghana

ABSTRACT Rainwater, groundwater and soil-water samples were analysed to assess groundwater geochemistry and the origin of salinity in the Ochi-Narkwa basin of the Central Region of Ghana. The samples were measured for major ions and stable isotopes (δ18O, δ2H and δ13C). The Cl− content in rainwater decreased with distance from the coast. The major hydrochemical facies were Na-Cl for the shallow groundwaters and Ca-Mg-HCO3, Na-Cl and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 for the deep groundwaters. Groundwater salinization is caused largely by halite dissolution and to a minor extent by silicate weathering and seawater intrusion. Stable isotope composition of the groundwaters followed a slope of 3.44, suggesting a mixing line. Chloride profiles in the soil zone revealed the existence of salt crusts, which support halite dissolution in the study area. A conceptual flow model developed to explain the mechanism of salinization showed principal groundwater flow in the NW–SE direction. EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis ASSOCIATE EDITOR K. Heal

Integrating gamma log and conventional electrical logs to improve identification of fracture zones in hard rocks for hydrofracturing: a case study from Ghana

Hydrofracturing of low-yielding boreholes in hard rocks is a widely used technique in Africa for improvement of yield, thus making them qualified for installation of a hand-pump for domestic water supply. However, the success rate of the hydrofracturing campaigns seems not to be that high as generally claimed by contractors. One reason amongst others might be that the selection of zones for hydrofracturing in the individual borehole is based on pre-hydrofracturing investigation using conventional electrical logs only. Thereby, the zones selected are the occurring resistivity minima interpreted as weak zones with some fracturing. However, resistivity minima can also be caused solely by lithological reasons, which then in most cases could have been seen on a gamma log as corresponding increased gamma radiation. The advantages of using gamma logging in combination with conventional electrical logging technique for prediction of fractured zones in basement rocks is illustrated by investigations of three low-yielding boreholes located in different geological environments in crystalline basement rocks in Ghana.