TITLE:
Conceptual Model of Aquifers in the Bedrock Zone of the Marahoué Watershed (Centre-West of Ivory Coast)
AUTHORS:
Kouassi Désiré Bouatrin, Innocent Kouassi Kouame, Aristide Gountôh Douagui, Kouamé Auguste Kouassi, Bi Tié Albert Goula
KEYWORDS:
Marahoué Watershed, Conceptual Model, Ivory Coast
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.7,
July
27,
2022
ABSTRACT: Marahoué watershed, located in the Center West of Côte d’Ivoire, has
experienced significant population growth in recent decades. And a major
economic boom linked to intense agricultural activity and the presence of
certain industries. This population growth is also accompanied by seasonal
water shortages. Hence it needs to better manage the basin’s groundwater, which is a permanent resource
and more resistant than surface water to climatic hazards. The objective of
this study is therefore to propose a conceptual model of hydrogeological flow
for the sustainable exploitation of groundwater resources in the Marahoué
watershed. The establishment of the conceptual model was carried out in two
stages. The first step consisted in defining the stratigraphic units. For this
purpose, three units have been defined. These are the layer of alterite, the
useful fissured horizon and the sound basement. The thickness of the layer of
alterite varies from 0 to 80 m with an average of 26 m. As for the useful
fissured horizon, its thickness is between 43 and 46.5 with an average of 45 m.
In addition, the roof of the basement presents a slightly uneven morphology
with a North-West, South-East dip and the altitudes are between 150 and 390 m. The second
step corresponds to the phase of determining the hydrodynamic parameters.
During this phase, the crack porosity, the
transmissivity, the conductivity, the storage coefficient, the hydrological
balance and the piezometric map were determined. Indeed, these parameters (the
crack porosity, the transmissivity, the conductivity and the storage coefficient) confirm not only the
heterogeneity of the medium but that the cracked horizon is sufficiently
porous to be assimilated to an equivalent continuous medium during the
simulation.