A GIS-based Hydrogeological and Geophysical Study for the Analysis of Potential Water Infiltration in the Upper Yarmouk River Basin, North Jordan

Groundwater resources in semi-arid climates in countries like Jordan have experienced deterioration both in quantity and quality. This paper aims at locating potential groundwater recharge areas in the Upper Yarmouk River Basin (UYRB) using weighted overlay method in ArcGIS. The input data for this analysis included geology, soil, land use/ land cover, slope, lineament density, and drainage density. The results classified the study area in terms of its water infiltration potential into five categories, in which zones of high and very high infiltration potential represented 36 % of the investigated area. The maximum infiltration potential dominated the north, east, and southwest parts of the study. This is most probably due to the major influence of soil types, land cover and lineaments in the southwest, and the increased role of drainage density and topography in the north and eastern parts. The water infiltration potential was successfully validated using data from rainfall simulations and Vertical Electrical Soundings, suggesting that the moisture content of the upper 10m of the soil column is within the range 33-48%. The adopted model can be seen as a guide for water resources security and protection.