Application Of Remote Sensing And GIS In Groundwater Studies: An Overview

摘要

Groundwater is a treasured earth's resource. Overexploitation and unabated pollution of this vital resource is threatening our ecosystems and even the life of future generations. With the advent of powerful and high-speed personal computers, efficient techniques for water management have evolved, of which RS and GIS are of great significance. These techniques have changed our thoughts to manage our natural resources in general and water resources in particular. The present paper is an attempt to highlight the salient features of RS and GIS and to present the state-of-the-art review on the application of these techniques in groundwater studies. A detailed survey of literature revealed that the use of these techniques in groundwater studies is in its infancy. It is emphasized that more and more groundwater studies should be carried out using these two emerging techniques, which will ensure efficient and sustainable management of vital groundwater resources. The limitations of RS technique for monitoring groundwater systems are discussed and future prospects are highlighted. It is concluded that the RS technique has potential to revolutionize groundwater monitoring in the future, though the challenges are daunting. GIS will play a central role in handling the spatio-temporal data and their effective interpretation and presentation.