Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System
The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) is the world's largest known fossil water aquifer system. It is located underground in the Eastern end of the Sahara desert and spans the political boundaries of four countries in north-eastern Africa.[1] NSAS covers a land area spanning just over two million km2, including north-western Sudan, north-eastern Chad, south-eastern Libya, and most of Egypt. Containing an estimated 150,000 km3 of groundwater,[2] the significance of the NSAS as a potential water resource for future development programs in these countries is large. The Great Man-Made River (GMMR) project in Libya makes use of the system, extracting substantial amounts of water from this aquifer, removing an estimated 2.4 km3 of fresh water for consumption and agriculture per year.
Characteristics
Since 2001, the
Geology
The aquifer is largely composed of hard
International development projects
Since 2006, the
See also
References
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency: NSAS Project Archived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Center for Environmental and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) 2000
- S2CID 129513948.
- ^ A Study of Hydrogeological Conditions of the Nubian Sandstone Aguifer in the Area between Abu Simbel & Toschka, Western Desert, Egypt. American Geophysical Union, Spring 2001
- ^ Brittain, John (June 22, 2015). "The International Atomic Energy Agency: Linking Nuclear Science and Diplomacy". Science and Diplomacy. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
- ^ "IAEA/UNDP/GEF Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System Medium Sized Project: Inception Meeting Report. November 9, 2006" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2007.
Bibliography
- Essay and Maps: Groundwater Resources of the Nubian Aquifer System
- Dahab, K.A., El Sayed, E.A. Study of Hydrogeological Conditions of the Nubian Sandstone Aguifer in the Area Between Abu Simbel & Toschka, Western Desert, Egypt. American Geophysical Union, Spring 2001