Hydrogeological Assessment in Melo, Uruguay with the Use of Geophysical Methods and Geomatics Techniques

Abstract

Igneous rocks, for their genesis, have no primary collector properties. In any case, weathering and stress-es acting on them, cause fractures, cracks and faults which permit the development of secondary collec-tor possibilities. The need to evaluate the collector properties of an area near the city of Melo, for use for farming purposes, motivated the interest in carrying out a hydrogeological study. In the area predominate granitic rocks and a group of small springs are observed. A combination of surface geophysical methods was used for this hydrogeological evaluation: magnetic, seismic refraction, electrical tomography and magneto-telluric survey together with geomatics techniques applied to the digital elevation model and satellite image. As a main result the assessment of collector possibilities area was made, likewise it was possible to update the existing geological information. The combination of geophysical and geological methods allowed clarifies the physical-geological model and it show evidence available to update the existing geological map. It was possible to identify the presence of basaltic rocks, not described above for the area and propose the contact zone granites-basalts.