INVESTIGATION FOR GROUNDWATER POTENTIAL AND ENGINEERING WORKS USING ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD AT GIDAN KWANO CAMPUS, FUT, MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), using Schlumberger array was carried out to investigate the subsurface layer parameters of a 500 x 500 m land area located between latitude 09o32′21.4′′ N to 09o32′37.8′′ N and longitude 06o27′29.2′′ E to 06o27′45.5′′ E at the northern part of Gidan Kwano Campus, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. A total of 36 VES points at 100 m interval were sounded with a 100 m maximum half inter current electrode spacing (ab/2). Result revealed that the study area is underlain by three (3) geoelectric layers which include: the top soil with 10.6 to 1679.8 Ωm, 0.5 to 4.2 m and 0.5 to 4.2 m as its range of resistivity, depth and thicknesses respectively; the weathered layer having resistivity of 4.8 to 61.5 Ωm, depth of 2.7 to 23.0 m and thickness of 2.1 to 21.1 m; and the fractured/fresh basement which has 158.7 to 1421.5 Ωm as its resistivity value with undefined depth and thickness. The observed curve types include: A (3%) and H (97%). Five (5) VES stations A5, B4, B5, C2, and F3 were delineated as aquifer potentials of the study area, their resistivity, depth and thickness range from 24.2 to 34.4 Ωm, 9.2 to 23.0 m and 8.0 to 21.2 m respectively. The points delineated for civil engineering works are VES stations A6, B1, B6, C5 and F1 having shallow depth to basement.