Sustainable Urban Planning Using Integrated Geophysical Techniques in New Sohag City, Egypt

Sustainable planning in New Sohag City, Egypt, can be significantly enhanced by employing integrated geophysical techniques. The current research presents the applicability of multiple integrated geophysical methods to prepare the optimal land use plans for the sustainable development of the new urban extension of Sohag Governorate, Upper Egypt, to tackle residential density and overcrowding in the governorate. The utilized geophysical techniques were electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), seismic refraction (SR), and ground penetrating radar (GPR). All these applied geophysical techniques concluded the near-surface stratigraphic sequence, which can be summarized by a generic subsurface model: variable wadi-fill deposits due to the variation in the flooding nature of the Nile River over the past millions of years, with an average thickness of 4.1 m; wet sand with intercalations of silt and clay, with an average thickness of 9.2 m. The model ends with highly saturated sand and gravel deposits, representing the groundwater aquifer throughout the studied area. The integration of the geophysical techniques, as well as the geological investigation, proved a clear efficacy for preparing the optimal land-use plan of the studied site, in the form of the proposed extensions of the agricultural activities, green and open areas, old quarrying areas, construction areas, and the groundwater potential throughout the studied area to conserve natural resources and ensure sustainable land use.