In the dense, green expanse of southern Côte d’Ivoire’s Agnéby-Tiassa region, where thick regolith and towering vegetation obscure the ground, access to safe drinking water has long been a challenge. Vincent Tchimou Assoma, a researcher at the University Center for Research and Application in Remote Sensing (CURAT), University of Félix Houphouët-Boigny (UFHB), knows this struggle firsthand. His latest study, published in *Discover Geoscience*, offers a lifeline—not just for communities but for industries reliant on groundwater, including energy.
Assoma and his team tackled a critical problem: how to reliably locate high-yield boreholes in fractured basement aquifers, where water is trapped in rock fractures beneath layers of weathered material. Traditional methods often lead to dry wells or low-yield sources, wasting time and resources. But their integrated approach—a blend of satellite imagery, ground geophysics, and borehole data analysis—is changing the game.
The study began with Sentinel-1 radar images, processed to map structural lineaments—fractures in the bedrock that act as pathways for groundwater. “These lineaments are like the region’s hidden plumbing,” Assoma explains. “They tell us where water might be flowing underground.” The team identified 458 major lineaments, with dominant trends aligned to ancient tectonic forces. This wasn’t just academic; it was a roadmap for where to drill.
Next, they used electrical resistivity profiling to pinpoint conductive anomalies—often shaped like “U,” “V,” or “W”—indicating zones of open fractures or thick regolith where water accumulates. “These anomalies are our targets,” says Assoma. “They’re the sweet spots where boreholes are most likely to hit water.”
The final piece was data from 307 existing boreholes, analyzed for yield, regolith thickness, depth, and lithology. The findings were striking: the highest yields (over 2.5 cubic meters per hour) came from granitic and volcano-sedimentary schist formations, where regolith thickness ranged from 15 to 80 meters. “This isn’t just about finding water,” Assoma notes. “It’s about finding the *right* water—where it’s abundant and accessible.”
For the energy sector, this research is a game-changer. Off-grid energy projects, from solar-powered water pumps to small-scale hydroelectric systems, rely on consistent water access. Failed boreholes mean delays, cost overruns, and stranded assets. Assoma’s method reduces that risk by increasing the odds of a successful drill. In regions where water scarcity can stall development, this is more than science—it’s a catalyst for progress.
Published in *Discover Geoscience* (translated from *Découvrir la Géoscience*), the study doesn’t just solve a local problem; it offers a blueprint for basement aquifer exploration worldwide. As industries seek sustainable water sources for everything from cooling to irrigation, Assoma’s work proves that the right tools—and the right data—can turn uncertainty into opportunity.