Applying Particle Swarm Optimization on VES Data for Groundwater Evaluation.

This research addresses groundwater management challenges in southeastern Punjab Province, Pakistan, focusing on over-exploitation, contamination, and climate change impacts. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, it integrates hydro geology, ecology, economics, and policy studies. The study emphasizes particularly on vertical electrical sounding (VES) enhanced with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm and other advanced electrical geophysical techniques. This innovative method improves VES data inversion, vital for understanding aquifer characteristics and identifying salinity-free zones, supporting sustainable groundwater strategies. Covering 200 square kilometers in the Indus Plain, an area with alluvial deposits from the Ravi and Beas rivers, the research offers insight into complex groundwater dynamics. PSO's efficiency in generating accurate resistivity models is key for locating new wells, ensuring water availability and sustainable agriculture. The methodology includes aquifer parameters, borehole logs, and analysis of aquifer properties and salinity distribution, mapping crucial aquifer features to assess groundwater potential and contamination risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]