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Assessment of influencing level of rainfall and physical factors on groundwater level for a semi-arid flat terrain watershed using grid-based geospatial analysis: a case study from Lower Palar Basin, Tamil Nadu, India

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Abstract

Understanding natural phenomena with the help of modern scientific approaches helps to reach sustainable solutions for current and future water-related problems. In this context, present study aims to assess relative influencing level of physical factors in controlling groundwater level, using a novel grid-based delineation technique, in Lower Palar River Basin, in Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu districts of South India. The influencing factors viz-a-viz: rainfall, soil texture, land use/land cover, terrain slope, geomorphology, lithology, and drainage characteristics were considered for the study. Archived data (2011 to 2020) of monthly rainfall at four rain gauge stations and monthly groundwater level of 22 locations, soil texture, lithology, and geomorphology data were considered for the study. SRTM digital elevation model with 30-m resolution was used for analyzing drainage characteristics and terrain slope. Thematic maps for considered factors were prepared, using common grid delineation method in GIS platform that divided study area into 52 grids, to inter-relate the discrete and continuous parameters with groundwater level. Results indicate that level of influence increases in the order of precipitation followed by lithology, land use/land cover, terrain slope, geomorphology, infiltration number, and soil texture. The study shows groundwater resilience is highly influenced by soil texture and infiltration number compared to other factors considered. It can be concluded that grid-based delineation successfully identifies grids with significant influence of individual factors by comparing with groundwater resilience. Common grid-based delineation method proves to be more effective in assessing groundwater resilience and can be used more efficiently in groundwater studies.

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Acknowledgements

NS thanks Dean CET, Dean of Research, and Management of SRMIST for their support in the form of a fellowship for his Ph.D. Programme. The authors acknowledge the Public Works Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, for providing the necessary data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603 203, India

    S Nagaraj & P. Purushothaman

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  1. S Nagaraj
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Contributions

NS and PP conceived the idea. NS procured the data for the study area. The data processed and analyzed by NS. Study was supervised and results were validated by PP. NS and PP carried out data interpretation and manuscript preparation. PP was also involved in the revision and finalization of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to P. Purushothaman.

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Highlights

• Novel grid-based geospatial analysis was done.

• The grid-based study is an efficient tool to identify influencing factors of GWL.

• Soil texture and morphometric parameters have more impact on groundwater level (GWL).

• Rainfall and slope have relatively less effect on GWL of flat terrain.

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Nagaraj, S., Purushothaman, P. Assessment of influencing level of rainfall and physical factors on groundwater level for a semi-arid flat terrain watershed using grid-based geospatial analysis: a case study from Lower Palar Basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1159 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11805-6

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