This award supports a three-year collaborative research project between Professor Stephen Silliman, with the Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, and Professor Moussa Boukari, with the Faculty des Sciences et Techniques at the Universite Nationale du Benin. The investigators will conduct a study of the groundwater hydrology of central/northern Benin.
Hydrogeologically Benin can be subdivided into three regions: southern, central/northern, and northeastern. The central/northern region consists primarily of fractured crystalline rock with water levels regularly being greater than 40 meters. Professors Silliman and Boukari will collect samples of groundwater, precipitation, and host rock from various sites in the central/northern area. A set of sophisticated analytical techniques (ICP-MS and ICP-OES) will be used to conduct geochemical analyses to determine: (1) if chemical signatures in the groundwater can be used to differentiate atmospheric sources and geologic interactions influencing the quality of recharge, (2) whether anthropogenic signatures are observed in this groundwater system, and (3) the utility of high-precision element analysis for groundwater characterization. This project combines Professor Silliman's expertise in the areas of characterization of groundwater systems and statistical analysis with Professor Boukari's intimate knowledge of, and historical research regarding, the hydrogeology of Benin. Both investigators have extensive experience performing field studies.
Through this project the investigators expect to achieve a greater understanding about the utility of groundwater geochemical measurements in terms of identification of forcing functions. Such information will be valuable to a broad spectrum of scientists, including geologists and hydrological and environmental researchers. It will also provide increased insight into the potential for development of non-coastal, western Africa, and the current chemical threats to water supplies in this area of the developing world. The results are also expected to have applications to improved drilling and hydrofracing techniques. The project will include the participation of a US graduate student, who will gain experience in conducting field research in a developing country.
The Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Earth Sciences are jointly providing support for this project.
