Groundwater exploration in crystalline basement aquifers such as the Houtriver gneiss formation in the Limpopo province of South Africa is often described as complex. This is because groundwater availability in such aquifers is largely a consequence of the interaction of several processes related to recharge, underlying geological features and fracture connectivity of the aquifer rock matrix. In this study, an integration of geophysical and geological investigations is applied in inferring potential drill targets within the Houtriver gneiss crystalline basement aquifer system. Results from the magnetic and frequency domain electromagnetic surveys were combined with geological investigations to identify sites where vertical electrical resistivity sounding was applied to infer the thickness and layering of weathered and fractured zones, as well as to identify potential targets where test boreholes were drilled. Constructed geo-resistivity pseudo-sections suggested that groundwater occurrence within this formation is described by a heterogeneous multiple-layered and fractured aquifer system with the main groundwater bearing zones ranging from a depth of 30–72m in most cases. Ten potential drill sites were identified from which three test boreholes were drilled and used to validate the results through a lithostratigraphic conceptual model developed from the correlation of the geophysical results with drill logs. The integration of hydro-geophysical and geological methods thus provided a comprehensive approach for resource assessment in the Houtriver gneiss formation.

南非林波波省的Houtriver片麻岩地层等结晶性地下含水层中的地下水勘探通常被描述为复杂的过程。这是因为此类含水层中的地下水利用率在很大程度上是与补给，基础地质特征和含水层岩石基质的裂缝连通性相关的多个过程相互作用的结果。在这项研究中，将地球物理和地质研究的整合应用于推断Houtriver片麻岩晶体地下室含水层系统中的潜在钻探目标。将磁和频域电磁勘测的结果与地质勘测相结合，以识别应用垂直电阻率测深推断风化和断裂带的厚度和分层的位置，并确定在哪里钻探测试井眼的潜在目标。构造的地电阻率伪剖面表明，该地层中地下水的发生是由一个非均质的多层裂缝性含水层系统来描述的，在大多数情况下，主要的含水层范围为30-72m。确定了十个潜在的钻探地点，从中钻出了三个测试孔，并通过岩地层学概念模型验证了结果，该模型由地球物理结果与钻探记录的相关性开发而成。因此，水文地球物理和地质方法的整合为豪特里弗片麻岩地层的资源评估提供了一种综合方法。构造的地电阻率伪剖面表明，该地层中地下水的发生是由一个非均质的多层裂缝性含水层系统来描述的，在大多数情况下，主要的含水层范围为30-72m。确定了十个潜在的钻探地点，从中钻出了三个测试孔，并通过岩地层学概念模型验证了结果，该模型由地球物理结果与钻探记录的相关性开发而成。因此，水文地球物理和地质方法的整合为豪特里弗片麻岩地层的资源评估提供了一种综合方法。构造的地电阻率假剖面表明，该地层中地下水的发生是由非均质的多层裂缝性含水层系统描述的，在大多数情况下，主要的含水层范围为30-72m。确定了十个潜在的钻探地点，从中钻出了三个测试孔，并通过岩地层学概念模型验证了结果，该模型由地球物理结果与钻探记录的相关性开发而成。因此，水文地球物理和地质方法的整合为豪特里弗片麻岩地层的资源评估提供了一种综合方法。