Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Input of geophysics to understand hydrogeology towards the assessment of geoenvironmental conditions in Beira city, Mozambique

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As the fourth largest city in Mozambique, and located right beside the Indian Ocean, Beira faces sanitary and environmental problems that are a strong concern to the local and national authorities. One of the major problems that Beira city has to deal with is the existence of undrinkable groundwater in many dug-wells that supply a large amount of the city population. The cooperation project among Direcção Nacional de Geologia of Mozambique, the Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia of Portugal and the Instituto de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Português that took place from 2007 to 2011 has as one of its main goals the production of the Geological and Geoenvironmental Maps of Beira at scale 1:50,000, intending to create a tool to support the implementation of governmental policies regarding sustainable groundwater and natural resources exploitations, land management and environmental protection. These goals were achieved through the identification, characterization and mapping of the different geological units and the evaluation of the city environmental problems regarding water and soil contamination in urban areas, involving the use of several methodologies that were subsequently integrated and jointly interpreted. These comprised remote sensing techniques, hydrogeology analysis and evaluation and the use of geochemistry and electrical geophysical methods. This work emphasizes the input of geophysical and hydrogeological methods to assess the geoenvironmental conditions of Beira, namely those related with the prediction of occurrence of saline and brackish water in the shallow dug-wells that supply a large amount of Beira populations, especially in the crowded suburbs. Several geophysical surveys using electrical and electromagnetic methods were conducted and interpreted regarding the evaluation of the several hypotheses that were stood for this feature. Results are related with hydrogeological conditions and organic and inorganic hydrochemical analysis. Considering these facts, this study was an important input for mapping areas with saline and brackish water imprisoned in the subsurface geological formations, using a wider set of methodologies that were integrated in these results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Almeida F, Marques da Silva M, Senos Matias M (1987) Métodos eléctricos no estudo da interface água doce/água salgada—Um exemplo Torreira/Aveiro. Geotecnia 51:33–44

    Google Scholar 

  • ARA-Centro 1999 Prospecção Geofísica no Aeroporto Internacional da Beira. Administração Regional de Águas do Centro, 18p + Annexes

  • Ayolabi EA, Folorunso AF, Odukoya AM, Adeniran AE (2013) Mapping saline water intrusion into the coastal aquifer with geophysical and geochemical techniques: the University of Lagos campus case (Nigeria). Springerplus 2:433. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batista MJ, Fernandes J, Ramalho E, Quental L, Dias R, Milisse D, Manhiça V, Ussene U, Cune G, Daudi EX, Oliveira JT (2011) Geochemical characterization of soils and sediments of the city of Beira, Mozambique: a preliminary approach. In: Johnson C, Demetriades A, Locutura J, Ottesen RT (eds) Mapping the chemical environment of urban areas. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Batista MJ, Quental L, Dias R, Ramalho E, Fernandes J, Milisse D, Manhiça V, Ussene U, Cune GR, Daudi EX (2017) Geochemical characterisation of soil of Beira city, Mozambique: geogenic origin and relation with land cover. J Geochem Explor. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2017.10.014

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobachev AA, Modin IN, Shevnin VA (2000) IPI2Win user’s guide. Moscow State University, Geological Faculty, Deptartment of Geophysics, Geoscan-M Ltd, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Bossard M, Feranec J, Otahel J (2000) Corine land cover technical guide-addendum 2000. Technical report n.40. Copenhagen, European Environment Agency. http://reports.eea.eu.int/tech40add/en/tech40add.pdf. Last accessed 19 Feb 2009

  • Büttner G (CLC2006 TT coordinator) (2007) CLC2006 technical guidelines. European Environment Agency, EEA Technical report No 17

  • Dias R, Oliveira JT, Ramalho EC, Batista MJ, Fernandes J, Quental L, Milisse D, Manhiça V, Ussene U, Cune G, Daudi EX (2010) Cartografia Geológica e Geoambiental da Beira, Moçambique, à escala 1:50000—resultados preliminares. Congresso Nacional de Geologia 2010

  • Dias R, Oliveira JT, Milisse D, Ussene U, Muchibane A, Cune G, Manhiça V, Balate G (2011) Cartografia Geológica da Beira, Moçambique, à escala 1:50000 e Notícia Explicativa- Parte I. Digital Version, pp. 1–40

  • Dias RP, Oliveira JT, Milisse D, Ussene U (2012) Geologia da Região da Grande Beira. 1º Congresso Geológico de Moçambique, Maputo. Livro de Resumos e Resumos Alargados. O2-01, pp 6–10

  • Falgàs E, Ledo J, Teixidó T, Gabàs A, Ribera F, Arango C, Queralt P, Plata JL, Rubio FM, Peña JA, Martí A, Marcuello A (2004) Geophysical characterization of a mediterranean coastal aquifer: the baixa tordera fluvio-deltaic aquifer unit (Barcelona, NE Spain). 18 SWIM. Cartagena 2004, Spain. (Ed. Araguás, Custodio and Manzano). IGME, pp 395–404

  • Fatoyinbo TE, Simard M, Washington-Allen RA, Shugart HH (2008) Landscape-scale extent, height, biomass, and carbon estimation of Mozambique’s mangrove forests with Landsat ETM+ and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission elevation data. J Geophys Res 113:G02S06

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes J, Batista MJ, Ramalho E, Quental L, Dias R, Oliveira T, Cune G, Daudi E, Milisse D, Ussene U, Manhiça V (2010) Utilização de metodologias integradas na produção da Carta Geoambiental da cidade da Beira, Moçambique. 10º Congresso da Água, Faro, p 17

  • Francés AP, Ramalho EC, Fernandes J, Groen M, Hugman R, Khalil MA, De Plaen J, Monteiro Santos FA (2015) Contributions of hydrogeophysics to the hydrogeological conceptual model of the Albufeira-Ribeira de Quarteira coastal aquifer in Algarve, Portugal. Hydrogeol J 23(7):1553–1572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-015-1282-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geonics Ltd. (1990) EM34-3 and EM34-3XL operating instructions. Geonics Limited

  • Goes BJM, Oude Essink GHP, Vernes RW, Sergi F (2009) Estimating the depth of fresh of brackish groundwater in a predominantly saline region using geophysical and hydrological methods, Zeeland, The Netherlands. Near Surf Geophys, pp 401–412

  • Greenwood WJ, Kruse S, Swarzenski P (2006) Extending electromagnetic methods to map coastal pore water salinities. Groundwater 44(2):292–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Health Ministry of Mozambique (2004) Regulamento sobre a qualidade da água para conumo humano, Parte B - para a água destinada ao consumo humano fornecida por fontes de abastecimento público sem tratamento

  • McNeill JD (1983) EM34-3 survey interpretation techniques, Geonics Ltd. Technical Note TN-8. Geonics Ltd, Mississauga, Canada

  • Monteiro Santos FM (2004) 1-D laterally constrained inversion of EM34 profiling data. J Appl Geophys 56:123–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Omosuyi GO, Ojo JS, Olorunfemi MO (2008) Geoelectrical sounding to delineate shallow aquifers in the coastal plain sands of Okitipupa Area, Southwestern Nigeria. Pac J Sci Technol 9(2):562–577

    Google Scholar 

  • Quental L, Oliveira T, Dias R, Batista MJ, Fernandes J (2009) Land cover characterization and change detection using multispectral imagery for the Beira area, Mozambique: a preliminary approach. In: Proceedings of the 33rd international symposium of remote sensing of the environment. 585pdf

  • Quental L, Ramalho E, Daudi E, Batista MJ, Fernandes J, Milisse D, Dias R, Oliveira JT (2011) Carta Geoambiental da Região da Grande Beira, Moçambique, escala 1:50000 e Notícia Explicativa—Parte II. Digital Version, pp 41–88

  • Ramalho E, Carvalho J, Barbosa S, Monteiro Santos FA (2009) Using geophysical methods to assess geoenvironmental impacts in the Quinta do Bispo abandoned uranium mining site, Portugal. J Appl Geophys 67:14–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramalho EC, Midões C, Lourenço MC, Costa A, Monteiro Santos FA (2012) Environmental assessment of an uranium experimental rock blasting in Portugal, using geophysical and hydrogeological methods. J Geophys Eng 9:433–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds JM (1997) An introduction to applied and environmental geophysics. Wiley, West Sussex, p 796

    Google Scholar 

  • Senos Matias MJ, Marques da Silva MA, Ferreira PL, Ramalho EC (1994) A geophysical and hydrogeological study of aquifers contamination by a landfill. J Appl Geophys 32:155–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma PV (1997) Environmental and engineering geophysics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 475

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • van Overmeeren RA (1987) Freshwater bearing sandy creekbeds explored by electromagnetic measurements in a mainly saline coastal area of Netherlands. In: Garland GD (ed) Proceedings of the 3rd decennial international conferencce geophysical and geochemical exploration for minerals and groundwater, vol 3, pp 716–728

Download references

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia of Mozambique for providing data series from the Beira meteorological station that allowed a complete climatological analysis. Thanks are due to Dr. Marcos Mponda. We also wish to thank Mr. Almiro Magaia. The authors also wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions that improved the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. LNEG, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Estrada da Portela, Bairro do Zambujal – Alfragide, Apartado 7586, 2610-999, Amadora, Portugal

    E. C. Ramalho, J. Fernandes, L. Quental, R. Dias, J. T. Oliveira & M. J. Batista

  2. DNGM, Direcção Nacional de Geologia de Moçambique, Av. Samora Machel, nº 380, Praça 25 de Junho, Maputo, Mozambique

    E. Daudi, G. Cune, U. Ussene, D. Milisse, G. Balate & V. Manhiça

Authors
  1. E. C. Ramalho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Fernandes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Daudi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. L. Quental
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R. Dias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. T. Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. M. J. Batista
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. G. Cune
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. U. Ussene
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. D. Milisse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. G. Balate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. V. Manhiça
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. C. Ramalho.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ramalho, E.C., Fernandes, J., Daudi, E. et al. Input of geophysics to understand hydrogeology towards the assessment of geoenvironmental conditions in Beira city, Mozambique. Environ Earth Sci 77, 15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-7183-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-7183-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation