Role of geological and geomorphological factors in ground water exploration: a study using IRS LISS data

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Abstract
Various geological and geomorphical factors play a major role at different levels in the occurrence and movement of ground water in any terrain, especially in hard rock crystalline formations. In the present study three different test sites in the form of drainage basins representing diverse geological set ups in parts of Karnataka, India have been chosen to compare and evaluate the various factors that govern the ground water occurrence and also to assess the utility of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) sensor data in ground water mapping and condition assessment. Selected digitally enhanced products were generated and utilized for extraction of relevant details on lithology, structure and landforms by their distinct image characteristics. The integration of the details extracted from digitally enhanced products along with morphometric parameters derived from the drainage maps, helped in the assessment of ground water conditions in each basin. The comparative assessment of the ground water controlling factors of all the three drainage basins has shown that, though similar types of hydrogeomor-phic landforms have developed over these drainage basins, they vary in terms of their characteristic behaviour and spatial distribution. The results obtained encourage the use of IRS sensor data for ground water targeting especially in hard rock terrain, where it is more complex and difficult.