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Assessing the Potential for Using LANDSAT Image-Derived Spectral Properties to Explore for Ground Water in Kenya and Investigation of Riverbed Dynamics and Temperature Modeling: Scour, Deposition and Temporal Variability of Hydraulic Conductivity

Mutiti, Samuel
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1259799144

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Geology and Environmental Earth Science.
In this dissertation, two issues that deal with access to clean drinking water were addressed. The first issue focused on the development of inexpensive ways to assess the potential for increasing groundwater supplies in a rural semi-arid region. The study area was in southeast Kenya in an area that is dependent on surface water collected in catchments on the mountain. The area experiences severe water shortages, especially during drought periods. In recent years, remote sensing has emerged as an inexpensive tool in groundwater exploration. In this study, LANDSAT imagery, which is relatively cheaper, was successfully used to map relative topography, moisture and vegetation. Together with linear features, soil types, and rock data, these features were used to identify areas with shallow groundwater potential. The areas were checked for depth to water table and subsurface lithology, with the water table being between 3 and 11 m.The second issue focused on assessing the effect of storms on riverbed sediments and hydraulic conductivity (Kv). Despite studies showing significant reductions in microbial contamination by riverbank filtration, there still exists some uncertainty in determining a site’s susceptibility to contamination from river water. This research quantified variations in riverbed Kv during storms using temperature modeling. Study sites were associated with municipal production wells along the Great Miami River. Kv increased by up to an order of magnitude from pre-storm low values to the largest Kv, with a maximum value for the study period of about 0.06 m/d. There was a positive correlation between the factor of increase and the time it took for stage to rise to its peak value, with an adjusted R2 = 0.76 and a p-value = 0.03. Riverbed scour was measured using a load-cell sensor and scour chains. The amount of scour occurring during any given storm was correlated with changes in the river stage with an adjusted R2 = 0.71 and a p-value = 0.0014. A comparison of the dimensionality of model domains revealed that a 2D model domain was more appropriate than a 1D domain at all sites of induced infiltration. The 1D model tended to over-estimate Kv value.
Jonathan Levy (Advisor)
Jason Rech (Committee Member)
William Renwick (Committee Member)
Mark Boardman (Committee Member)
David Nash (Committee Member)
152 p.
Hydrology
Ground Water; Temperature Modling; Remote Sensing; Hydrogeology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mutiti, S. (2009). Assessing the Potential for Using LANDSAT Image-Derived Spectral Properties to Explore for Ground Water in Kenya and Investigation of Riverbed Dynamics and Temperature Modeling: Scour, Deposition and Temporal Variability of Hydraulic Conductivity [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1259799144

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mutiti, Samuel. Assessing the Potential for Using LANDSAT Image-Derived Spectral Properties to Explore for Ground Water in Kenya and Investigation of Riverbed Dynamics and Temperature Modeling: Scour, Deposition and Temporal Variability of Hydraulic Conductivity. 2009. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1259799144.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mutiti, Samuel. "Assessing the Potential for Using LANDSAT Image-Derived Spectral Properties to Explore for Ground Water in Kenya and Investigation of Riverbed Dynamics and Temperature Modeling: Scour, Deposition and Temporal Variability of Hydraulic Conductivity." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1259799144

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.