Title: An assessment of water resources in Sinai Peninsula, using conventional and isotopic techniques, Egypt

Authors: S.A. Al-Gamal; M. Sadek

Addresses: Egyptian Atomic Energy and Taxila University, 3 Ahmed Al-Zomor St. P.O. Box 7551, Nasr City 11762,Cairo, Egypt ' Egyptian Atomic Energy and Taxila University, 3 Ahmed Al-Zomor St. P.O. Box 7551, Nasr City 11762,Cairo, Egypt

Abstract: This paper aims to reveal and to assess the groundwater availability of major multi-layered aquifer systems in Sinai. Eight major aquifer systems were identified in Sinai. These major aquifer systems spread under large areas of Sinai (61,000 km²). Isotopic characteristics for each aquifer system were expressed in terms of Oxygen-18(δ¹⁸O), deuterium (δ²H) as well as the characteristics of deuterium excess (d-excess). The hydrologic difference is reflected by d-excess instead of δ¹⁸O. The low 'd-excess' values (≤ 10) as 6‰ for quaternary aquifer and 8.6‰ for Nubian sandstones aquifer suggest that there is significant evaporation of rainwater leaving the residual groundwater with lower values of 'd-excess'. High d-excess values (> 10‰) are largely from the Jurassic and Eocene aquifers with 12‰ for Jurassic and from 9 to 11‰ for Eocene aquifers respectively. Isotopic data have reflected different slopes and different constants expressing the non-homogeneity in the isotopic composition of rainwater recharging the aquifers of Sinai, due to the presence of different air masses.

Keywords: environmental isotopes; correlation; regression analysis; water resources; Sinai; aquifers; Egypt; yield indices; quality indices; groundwater availability; deuterium; oxygen-18; hydrology; rainfall evaporation; rainwater recharge.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHST.2015.071351

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 2015 Vol.5 No.3, pp.241 - 257

Received: 16 Aug 2014
Accepted: 16 May 2015
Published online: 21 Aug 2015 *

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