Delineation of groundwater potential areas using RS/GIS and geophysical methods: a case study from the western part of Iran

Groundwater potential maps constitute a valuable tool for groundwater sustainable management in arid regions. In this study, a groundwater potential map was developed for the Asadabad plain (Iran). The method deployed remote sensing techniques and hierarchical analysis, while geoelectric data were used to verify the results of the study. The methodology used extracted information from thematic maps including lithology, the density of lineaments, drainage density, topography, slope, slope aspect, land use, distance from streams, distance from lineaments, rainfall, and air temperature. All different layers of information were classified as standard maps by expert judgment and field visits, and each category is ranked from 1 to 10 according to its degree of importance. Also, each layer is assigned an appropriate weight based on the groundwater potential using the hierarchical analysis process. The resulting map of the study area was quantitatively and qualitatively zoned into five classes: excellent, good, moderate, very low, and poor. The results obtained were compared with field electrical resistivity surveys and a high correlation was found. The results obtained from the groundwater potential map were validated by comparison with lithologic and water-level data, thus demonstrating the accuracy of the applied method.