Geophysical Prospecting Method Optimization Study On Groundwater Resources In Arid Regions Of Xinjiang Province

Xinjiang has abundant water resources. The South and the North Wings of the Tianshan Mountains and Tarim Basin are the major economy regions where there are abundant energy and mineral resources. Water exploration for the public welfare is mostly focused at above mentioned region.To efficiently and accurately identify the distribution of groundwater resources in Xinjiang, geophysical exploration methods need to be developed which are suitable for the different types of water in arid regions. This paper summarizes the efficiency, adaptability, field efficiency and cost comparison for various geophysical exploration methods employed in the water exploration in arid Xinjiang and provide experience models for water exploration in arid Xinjiang with the application of geophysical methods.Based on the main types of groundwater and hydrogeological features in arid Xinjiang, geophysical methods are mostly employed to locate fault/ fracture/ fissure structures which act as channels for water migration in mountain areas. From the fore-lands to the plains and desert, the key issues for water exploration is to apply geophysical methods to the understanding of the Quaternary stratigraphy structure, basement depth, geological structures and the features of multi-storey structures of aquifers.A couple of geophysical approaches have been applied to explore water in arid Xinjiang, such as MT method of V5 system by Canadian PHOENIX CORPORATION, EH4 system conductivity imaging by American GEOMETRICS CORPORATION, CSAMT controlled source audio-frequency magnetic ground current method and the TDEM method of V5(2000) system by Canadian PHOENIX CORPORATION, NMR method of NUMIS System of France IRIS CORPORATION. All these approaches have their own advantages in the water exploration in arid Xinjiang. Therefore, one or an assemblage of approaches should be employed for a specific geological, hydrogeological, geophysical environment to solve the problem.Research results have been applied to the choosing of approach(es) to conduct water exploration in three different types of hydrological areas and to achieve good results. These successful experiments provide beneficial models for underground water exploration in arid Xinjiang.