Application of the EM- 34 System Electromagnetic Method Integrated with Structural and Remote Sensing Data in a Hydrogeological Study

The shortage of clean fresh water is a growing problem that the world population faces in large cities and also in places located in less populated areas. The use of integrated methodologies employing effective and inexpensive techniques represent the new frontier of science. This approach provides for and optimizes the detection and location of potential areas for borehole well installation, or even small and shallow rudimentary ponds for helping poor communities. The use of geophysics as an indirect method of investigation in groundwater prospecting meets the needs and represents an effective alternative to traditional methods such as surface mapping, which is often limited due to the absence of outcrops or presence of thick layers of soil masking fractures and joints. The targeted study area is located on a fissured aquifer in Caçapava do Sul city, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The EM-34 timedomain electromagnetic geophysical method integrated with structural local and regional data from previous studies was used. The primary objective was to identify discontinuities indicating potential accumulation of water in the area. Analysis of the results allowed the detection of significant conductivity values, making possible the siting of a borehole well, and defining different water saturation levels and related faults and joints along the geophysical profiles. This investigation also provided insights for future detailed studies in the characterization of the aquifer flow regime for the area.