Mapping of lineaments for groundwater assessment in the Desert Fringes East El-Minia, Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Eocene aquifer system in Egypt is an important source of water to meet the increasing necessities of the agricultural, drinking, and domestic purposes. This study aimed to assess the impact of the hydro-structural features identified as lineaments on the groundwater occurrence, assess the water quality status for various purposes, and provide useful information for future management. To achieve this, Landsat images have been used in conjunction with the chemical data (major, trace ions, and physicochemical parameters) and statistical analysis. The hydrochemical facies showed that the water samples belong to (1) Ca–HCO₃; (2) mixed facies CaMgHCO₃ and mixed CaNaHCO₃, and (3) Na–Cl hydrochemical facies. The water chemistry is controlled by the carbonate weathering, ion exchange, and evaporite dissolution. The groundwater analysis has indicated that the water is suitable for drinking purposes when compared with the drinking water standards. Furthermore, salinity, electric conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and sodium percentage (%Na) assessment show that majority of the groundwater samples are appropriate for irrigation. The satellite imagery of the area has been analyzed to determine the orientation, density, and intersection. The orientation of the lineaments is well-confirmed with regional structural setting; in addition, density maps show that the density is high throughout the study area. The results reflect a correlation between the lineaments and the hydrologic phenomena. The statistical analysis with the one-way ANOVA confirmed the importance of lineaments as explanatory variable for the observed variation in water quality. This in turn supported that the fracture is structurally controlled and mostly influences both the occurrence and quality.