Identification of groundwater potential zones using multi-influencing factor method, GIS and remote sensing techniques in the hard rock terrain of Madurai district, southern India

The development of groundwater resources has been challenged due to an increase in water demand. An irregular climate and overpopulation have contributed to the groundwater crisis in recent years, resulting in overexploitation and overstressed aquifers. This work was carried out in the hard rock terrain of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. The purpose of this study is to identify suitable groundwater recharge zones to satisfy this region's water resource demand. Each feature's weighting and ranking were calculated using the multi-influencing factor method and literature review. A number of thematic maps were prepared with ArcGIS software as part of this study. Groundwater potential zone is delineated by seven influencing factors including geology, geomorphology, soil, land use/land cover, slope, lineament and drainage density. In this study, groundwater potential maps were obtained using GIS and remote sensing techniques by weighted overlay analysis. Groundwater potential is influenced by land use, geomorphology and geology. According to results, groundwater potential zones were found to be covering this region in increasing order such as high groundwater potential, low groundwater potential, and medium groundwater potential. With the help of groundwater level data, a groundwater potential zone was validated. In the future, it will be very useful to identify new locations for good groundwater resources as well as to manage water resources sustainably.