TY - JOUR
T1 - Formation of fresh ground-water lenses in northern Kuwait
AU - Kwarteng, A. Y.
AU - Viswanathan, M. N.
AU - Al-Senafy, M. N.
AU - Rashid, T.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - In Kuwait, an arid country with a low annual average rainfall of about 115 mm, fresh ground-water lenses are found at Raudhatain and Umm Al-Aish fields, in the northern part of the country. These lenses are formed due to a combination of unique conditions that include short duration, high intensity rainfall; geomorphology; and lithology that enables rapid infiltration to the underlying ground-water. Large depressions and playas, paleodrainage patterns, and catchment areas, which are necessary for the accumulation of large amounts of water during flash foods, were mapped from aerial photographs, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, and digital elevation model (DEM) datasets. From historical pumping and water quality variation data acquired between 1963 and 1977, the sustainable extraction rate for Raudhatain and Umm Al-Aish is estimated to be 5·5 and 3·5 Ml day-1, respectively. These rates are fundamental to the delicate management required to extract freshwater from the lenses and yet avoid upconing of the deeper saline water. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
AB - In Kuwait, an arid country with a low annual average rainfall of about 115 mm, fresh ground-water lenses are found at Raudhatain and Umm Al-Aish fields, in the northern part of the country. These lenses are formed due to a combination of unique conditions that include short duration, high intensity rainfall; geomorphology; and lithology that enables rapid infiltration to the underlying ground-water. Large depressions and playas, paleodrainage patterns, and catchment areas, which are necessary for the accumulation of large amounts of water during flash foods, were mapped from aerial photographs, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, and digital elevation model (DEM) datasets. From historical pumping and water quality variation data acquired between 1963 and 1977, the sustainable extraction rate for Raudhatain and Umm Al-Aish is estimated to be 5·5 and 3·5 Ml day-1, respectively. These rates are fundamental to the delicate management required to extract freshwater from the lenses and yet avoid upconing of the deeper saline water. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
KW - Arid region
KW - Digital elevation model (DEM)
KW - Fresh ground-water lenses
KW - Kuwait
KW - Remote sensing
KW - Safe yield
KW - Wadis
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U2 - 10.1006/jare.2000.0666
DO - 10.1006/jare.2000.0666
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033749612
SN - 0140-1963
VL - 46
SP - 137
EP - 155
JO - Journal of Arid Environments
JF - Journal of Arid Environments
IS - 2
ER -