The history and fate of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer springs in the oasis depressions of the Western Desert, Egypt

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• 作者：Owen Powell ; Rod Fensham
• 关键词：Egypt ; Groundwater development ; Arid regions ; History of hydrogeology ; Oasis
• 刊名：Hydrogeology Journal
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：March 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：24
• 期：2
• 页码：395-406
• 全文大小：4,429 KB
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• 作者单位：Owen Powell (1)
  Rod Fensham (2)
  
  1. School of Humanities, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Queensland Herbarium, Mount Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
  
• 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
• 刊物主题：Earth sciences
  Hydrogeology
  Geology
  Waste Water Technology, Water Pollution Control, Water Management and Aquatic Pollution
  
• 出版者：Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
• ISSN：1435-0157

文摘

Extraction of groundwater for agriculture has resulted in the loss of springs across arid regions of the globe. The history and fate are recorded of the artesian springs of Egypt’s Western Desert, from ancient times to the present, spanning the rise and fall of the great civilisations from the Pharoanic dynasties to Persian, Greek and Roman conquests. The study area includes oases Kharga, Dakhla, Bahriya, Farafra and Siwa, and several outer and small oases around Siwa and the edge of the Qattara Depression. The region is hyper-arid, receiving 10 mm or less average annual precipitation and evaporation rates are in the vicinity of 3,000 mm/a. Groundwater in the oases is largely derived from bores discharging from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer. Based on an extensive survey, conducted for the first time, attention is drawn to the rapid demise of springs as a result of modern irrigation schemes which continue to deplete groundwater supplies.