Rapid Mapping of Hydrological Systems in Remote Conditions Using the tTEM System

Summary Locating safe drinking water sources in remote settings can be a challenging task, especially in regions where one has little to no pre-existing knowledge of local groundwater systems. In these cases, it is common that boreholes are drilled that fail to deliver on desperately needed water resources. Non-invasive geophysical approaches show great promise to address this problem — capable of informing conceptual models of local groundwater systems and helping guide siting of wells. In this work, we demonstrate the utility of a towed transient electromagnetic system for rapid cost-efficient mapping of groundwater systems in remote conditions. Results from two campaigns in Tanzania and South Africa are presented to highlight the value the system can bring to well-siting workflows.