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Electrical and electromagnetic surveys to locate possible causes of water seepage to ground surface at a quarry open pit near Helwan city, Egypt

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Abstract

Water seepage to ground surface at a limestone quarry located at Wadi Garawy about 20 km south-east of Helwan city in Egypt posed a real threat to the mining activity at the quarry. The quarry area is known to be very dry for decades and away from water utilities and infrastructures that may cause water leaks to the quarry. Geophysical investigation including 1D Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and 1D Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) surveys were conducted to characterize the rock sequence and locate what could be a possible source of water seepage to the quarry. The resistivity profiles generated from the VES and TEM surveys mapped the rock units in the area down to depths exceeded 100 m. The ERT profiles acquired from the quarrying zone close to the water seepage spot have imaged the top of groundwater level at few meters below the ground surface at the quarry open pit. The spot of groundwater seepage seemed to occur at an area of limestone dissolution that were filled by finer sediments. The finer sediments acted as a hydrological conduit that allowed an upward seepage of groundwater to ground surface under the capillary action effect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Helwan, Cairo, Egypt

    Hany S. Mesbah, Ayman I. Taha, Usama Massoud & Mamdouh M. Soilman

  2. Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Ahmed Ismail

Authors
  1. Hany S. Mesbah
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  2. Ahmed Ismail
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  3. Ayman I. Taha
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  4. Usama Massoud
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  5. Mamdouh M. Soilman
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Correspondence to Hany S. Mesbah.

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Mesbah, H.S., Ismail, A., Taha, A.I. et al. Electrical and electromagnetic surveys to locate possible causes of water seepage to ground surface at a quarry open pit near Helwan city, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 10, 230 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-2997-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-2997-x

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