Integrated geophysical, geospatial and multiple-criteria decision analysis techniques for delineation of groundwater potential zones in a semi-arid hard-rock aquifer in Maharashtra, India

A novel framework has been developed for delineating groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) using fuzzy datasets and the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) integrated with hydrogeological, geophysical and geospatial data for a hard-rock trap-covered terrain in Maharashtra, India. This approach is based on the consideration of ten factors that influence groundwater potential: aquifer resistivity, aquifer thickness, transverse resistance, electrical anisotropy, drainage density, lineament density, rainfall, slope, geology and land use/land cover. The ranks and weights were obtained by fuzzy and AHP techniques and assigned to these layers and their feature class. The reclassified layers were integrated in a geographical information system environment to delineate the GWPZ of the study basin. The findings reveal that the areas of very high groundwater potential are located in the plateau region and plains of the basin that occupy about 11.5% of the total study area. These results are further validated using the relative operating characteristics technique, wherein area under the curve is 0.83, indicating good accuracy. The study highlights that such an integrated approach is reliable and can be applied in other semi-arid regions of the world to help hydrogeologists manage groundwater resources.