Balasubramaniyan Gurugnanam, Ganesan Dheiva Arul, Murugesan Bagyaraj, Swaminathan Bairavi, Karuppannan Shankar, Duraisamy Karunanidhi
Centre for Applied Geology, The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, 624302, India.
Department of Applied Geology, College of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box: 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 1;15(1):28045. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-13829-z.
The world's groundwater resources are under tremendous strain due to overuse and significant climatic changes. The need for potable water for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use is increasing worldwide, necessitating an assessment of aquifer productivity and groundwater potential. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) in Natham Taluk, Dindigul district, a hard rock area, to promote sustainable development. The GWPZ was delineated using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in conjunction with Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which have become essential techniques for groundwater resource retrieval, monitoring, and conservation. A total of ten thematic maps of lithology, land use/land cover, lineament density, geomorphology, soil, slope, rainfall, drainage density, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), and curvature, all layers were integrated to define Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZs) by weighted overlay analysis using ArcGIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Five types of groundwater potential were found in the study region as a consequence of the classification: very good (7.61%), good (39.70%), moderate (17.70%), low (33.03%), and very low (1.95%). The groundwater potential map (GWPM) accuracy is evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) method; an AUC value of 0.830 indicates a reliable result. This spatial study provides a vital geospatial database for strategically planning and constructing groundwater recharge structures. In addition to supporting the long-term sustainable management of groundwater resources, the delineated zones offer practical insights for improving aquifer recharge. The study also identifies possible locations for artificial recharge, especially well-suited to areas with hard rock and semi-arid conditions.
由于过度使用和显著的气候变化，世界地下水资源正承受着巨大压力。全球范围内，工业、农业和家庭用水对饮用水的需求不断增加，因此有必要对含水层生产力和地下水潜力进行评估。所以，本研究旨在评估丁迪古尔区纳瑟姆乡这一硬岩地区的地下水潜力区（GWPZ），以促进可持续发展。利用层次分析法（AHP）结合遥感（RS）和地理信息系统（GIS）来划定地下水潜力区，RS和GIS已成为获取、监测和保护地下水资源的重要技术。总共生成了十幅专题地图，分别是岩性、土地利用/土地覆盖、线性密度、地貌、土壤、坡度、降雨量、排水密度、地形湿度指数（TWI）和曲率，所有图层通过使用ArcGIS和层次分析法（AHP）进行加权叠加分析，以确定地下水潜力区（GWPZ）。通过分类，研究区域发现了五种地下水潜力类型：非常好（7.61%）、好（39.70%）、中等（17.70%）、低（33.03%）和非常低（1.95%）。使用曲线下面积（AUC）法评估地下水潜力图（GWPM）的准确性；AUC值为0.830表明结果可靠。这项空间研究为地下水补给结构的战略规划和建设提供了重要的地理空间数据库。除了支持地下水资源的长期可持续管理外，划定的区域还为改善含水层补给提供了实际见解。该研究还确定了人工补给的可能位置，特别适用于硬岩和半干旱条件的地区。
