Delineation Of Groundwater Potential Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging Techniques At Ibule Akure, Southwestern Nigeria

Population growth and heightened water demand in the study area, exacerbated by insufficient surface and groundwater resources, lead to severe water shortages, particularly during the dry season. In response, our study in Atibioke Street, Aule Road, Ibulesoro, Akure, Ondo State, employed Horizontal Profiling (HP) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) with electrical resistivity methods. Conducted across three traverses at 5m intervals, with probing levels from 1 to 5, the Combined HP and VES generated 2-D pseudosections, highlighting features and conducive layers for groundwater accumulation. Using Schlumberger configuration with electrode spacings from 1 to 100 m, three Vertical Electrical Soundings classified subsurface layers into Topsoil, Weathered Layer, and Fresh Bedrock within the basement complex terrain. The study emphasized the significance of electrical resistivity in assessing groundwater potential, with recommendations highlighting the unsuitability of VES 1 and VES 2 for exploitation, while VES 3 exhibited favorable conditions. Overall groundwater potential was rated as medium, emphasizing the need for alternative water supply solutions. VES 3 was recommended for well drilling based on promising characteristics, concluding with a suggestion to use these findings as a reference for future geophysical investigations.