Hydrogeologıcal Research of Groundwater Through Integrated Geophysıcal Methods (Ert And Ves) ın the Whıte Drın Basın, Kosovo
Fidan Bilalli* and Aida Bode
ABSTRACT
Sustainable management of groundwater resources requires accurate hydrogeological characterization and identification of aquifer structures in the groundwater. This study presents the integrated application of two geophysical methods – Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) – for the identification and characterization of aquifers in the Drin i Bardhë River Basin in Kosovo.
The research was conducted at 11 hydrogeological sites, including alluvial sediment environments, pro alluvial deposits and flysch formations. A total of 37.49 km of ERT profiles and 126 VES measurements were conducted, using the ARES and ARES II geophysical systems. Data analysis showed significant variations in electrical resistivity, with values <30–50 Ωm representing water-saturated clayey sediments, while the range 80–200 Ωm identifies sandy and gravelly aquifers with high permeability.
The results show that about 63% of the studied localities present high aquifer potential, while 27% present medium potential, mainly in areas with conglomerates and heterogeneous deposits. Only 10% of the localities resulted unproductive, due to the presence of shallow bedrock or flysch formations with low permeability. The thickness of the identified aquifers varies from 15 to 40 m, while in some sedimentary areas it reaches up to 60–70 m depth.
The integration of ERT and VES methods enabled the identification of buried fluvial structures (paleo-channels) and the determination of optimal areas for monitoring drilling. Based on the geophysical interpretation, 14 locations for monitoring wells were proposed, significantly reducing the risk of unproductive drilling.
The results demonstrate that the integrated use of geoelectrical methods constitutes a reliable and cost-effective approach for the hydrogeological characterization of sedimentary basins and for sustainable groundwater resource planning in regions with high geological complexity.
