Abstract:
The lack of access to potable water in Kitui has resulted to severe droughts causing poverty, famine and high infant
mortality rates, which has risen to 9.8% and life expectancy is declining steadily. The fact that the basement
system is hard Precambrian rock, ground water tends to be more localized and thus sustainable wells cannot be
dug on a trial and error basis. The aim of this project was to evaluate groundwater potential located in the
concealed fractured /faulted zones which act as groundwater storage and conduits, using magnetic and geoelectrical
geophysical techniques. A terrameter was used to collect resitivity data and subsequently determine the
subsurface layer resistivity anomalies using Wenner profiling and resistivity sounding inversion software, IP2WIN.
Proton precession magnetometer was used to measure the total magnetic field intensity of the earth and 2D Euler
deconvolution software was used to model the disintegrated basement. Magnetic surveys showed distinct
magnetic anomalies signifying sudden disruption of the basement rock which occur due to faulting. Resistivity
surveys also showed low resistivity anomaly at points of significant magnetic anomaly. This suggests groundwater
potential in the inferred fault.
