Scientists from the Division for Water Resources Planning andInvestigation for southern Vietnam have discovered an underwatersource of fresh water using a two-dimensional (2D) electrical imagingmethod.
The discovery came out of the first researchproject conducted to look for undersea fresh water called "Study andapplication of complex geophysical, geological and hydrogeologicalmethods for finding fresh water aquifers in coastal zones (up to 3m seawater depth) and experiments in Bac Lieu province coastal zones", saidDr Nguyen Hong Bang, the project manager.
The 1billion VND (52,000 USD) project was funded by the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment.
The fresh water wasdiscovered during a two-year survey at a depth ranging from 48-106metres, 3kilometres off the coast of Bac Lieu.
Thedivision has submitted a new proposal to the ministry that would helpidentify the volume of water available and design an exploitation schemeto help meet domestic fresh water needs, Bang said.
He said the completed study also served as a model for the applicationof science and technology to successfully implement the National OceanStrategies which were approved by the Prime Minister four years ago.
Bang proposed two more projects to explore other potentialundersea fresh water resources. One region is Hai Hau-Nghia Hung innorthern Nam Dinh province and the other is the coastal area spreadingfrom Long Toan district in the Mekong Delta's Tra Vinh province to DamDoi district in southernmost Ca Mau province.
A 2Delectrical imaging machine which collected highly accurate data waschosen for its accuracy and for the fact that it helps ensureenvironmentally friendly exploration.
The 2Dimagery showed a cross-section of the area with clear differentiationbetween high and low resistivity zones, said Dr Bang.
Scientists chose a location three kilometres offshore to buryelectrodes in the sea bed every 20 meters to a depth of 200 metres. Theelectrodes transmitted signals to receptors and data were saved to acomputer. Information was analysed by specialised software.
"After analysing, interpreting and predicting the existence of alayer of fresh water under the sea, we drilled a borehole to pump andobtain water samples for confirmation" said Bang.
DrTran Binh Trong, an expert from the Department of Science andTechnology at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, saidthat in the past, while carrying out natural resource explorationprojects, scientists had to drill lots of boreholes, which damaged thegeological environment. Thanks to the 2D electrical imaging method,natural resources exploration has become less harmful to theenvironment.
Trong also said that with furtherdevelopment, the method would help investigators explore other naturalresources and minerals on the sea floor./.
The discovery came out of the first researchproject conducted to look for undersea fresh water called "Study andapplication of complex geophysical, geological and hydrogeologicalmethods for finding fresh water aquifers in coastal zones (up to 3m seawater depth) and experiments in Bac Lieu province coastal zones", saidDr Nguyen Hong Bang, the project manager.
The 1billion VND (52,000 USD) project was funded by the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment.
The fresh water wasdiscovered during a two-year survey at a depth ranging from 48-106metres, 3kilometres off the coast of Bac Lieu.
Thedivision has submitted a new proposal to the ministry that would helpidentify the volume of water available and design an exploitation schemeto help meet domestic fresh water needs, Bang said.
He said the completed study also served as a model for the applicationof science and technology to successfully implement the National OceanStrategies which were approved by the Prime Minister four years ago.
Bang proposed two more projects to explore other potentialundersea fresh water resources. One region is Hai Hau-Nghia Hung innorthern Nam Dinh province and the other is the coastal area spreadingfrom Long Toan district in the Mekong Delta's Tra Vinh province to DamDoi district in southernmost Ca Mau province.
A 2Delectrical imaging machine which collected highly accurate data waschosen for its accuracy and for the fact that it helps ensureenvironmentally friendly exploration.
The 2Dimagery showed a cross-section of the area with clear differentiationbetween high and low resistivity zones, said Dr Bang.
Scientists chose a location three kilometres offshore to buryelectrodes in the sea bed every 20 meters to a depth of 200 metres. Theelectrodes transmitted signals to receptors and data were saved to acomputer. Information was analysed by specialised software.
"After analysing, interpreting and predicting the existence of alayer of fresh water under the sea, we drilled a borehole to pump andobtain water samples for confirmation" said Bang.
DrTran Binh Trong, an expert from the Department of Science andTechnology at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, saidthat in the past, while carrying out natural resource explorationprojects, scientists had to drill lots of boreholes, which damaged thegeological environment. Thanks to the 2D electrical imaging method,natural resources exploration has become less harmful to theenvironment.
Trong also said that with furtherdevelopment, the method would help investigators explore other naturalresources and minerals on the sea floor./.
