A Survey for Groundwater at a Lot at the Dan Zaria Academic Estate, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Central Nigeria

Abstract

This study adopted a different approach from the conventional in order to do reconnaissance for a planned survey at the Dan Zaria Academic Estate, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Central Nigeria; the resistivity type of geoelectrical survey in the VES mode of the Schlumberger array was employed for the reconnaissance and final stages of this investigation. The objective of this study was the search for possible location of aquifer at a defined lot at this estate. This “unconventional” approach was the acquisition of VES data at shallow depths (i.e. progressively down to 10m) over the area of study in order to determine the point of lowest resistivity instead of the approach to determine the lateral variation of resistivity at these shallow depths using the constant separation traversing (CST) method. The point of lowest resistivity thus identified was surveyed to a final depth of 100m. The authors based their interpretation for aquifer prospect at this point on the “Geoexplore Empirical Standardization for Minna Area.” Based on this standardization, it is observed that the 30-40m depth interval at this point is the possible groundwater yield zone.