Hydrogeological Assessment of Nubian Sandstone Aquifers
Summary
The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System is one of the world’s largest continuous freshwater-bearing formations, extending beneath Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Chad. Composed of Cambrian to Triassic sandstone layers interbedded with impermeable shales and limestones, it holds predominantly fossil groundwater with very slow natural recharge. Hydrogeological assessment integrates geophysical methods, such as magnetotelluric and electrical resistivity surveys, with hydrochemical and isotopic analyses, pumping tests and numerical modelling. These approaches delineate aquifer geometry, estimate hydraulic properties—including transmissivity and storage coefficients—and characterise water quality. Assessment results inform sustainable abstraction rates, identify zones of high yield or vulnerability, and guide transboundary water management. Given the aquifer’s crucial role in providing domestic, agricultural and industrial water in hyper-arid regions, understanding its recharge mechanisms, spatial variability and contamination risks is essential for climate-resilient resource planning and policy development.
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Technical terms
Transmissivity: The rate at which groundwater can move horizontally through the full thickness of an aquifer, expressed in area per time (e.g. m²/d).
Recharge: The process by which an aquifer is replenished, either diffusely through soil percolation or via concentrated flow along channels (wadis).
Fossil groundwater: Ancient water recharged under past climatic conditions, often characterised by minimal modern renewal.
Magnetotelluric survey: A geophysical technique measuring natural variations in the Earth’s electromagnetic field to infer subsurface resistivity structures.
Geostatistical interpolation: A set of mathematical methods, such as kriging, used to estimate spatially continuous fields (e.g. transmissivity) from discrete measurements.
References
- Unveiling the Dynamics and Sustainability of the Nubian Aquifer System in El-Marashda, Egypt Through Geophysical, and Hydrogeochemical Investigations. Earth Systems and Environment (2024).
- Infiltration and recharge dynamics in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System of northern Chad. Hydrogeology Journal (2024).
- Estimation and Mapping of the Transmissivity of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer in the Kharga Oasis, Egypt. Water (2020).
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