Authors : Brown Henrick Nziku, Chen Zhi Hua and Hu Cheng
Abstract: PRO-GRADE, an ArcGIS 9.2 plug-in was used to analyze groundwater patterns and estimate recharge rates in Ma Keng iron mining area, Fu Jian Province, China. The software consists of two separate packages, namely the Pattern Recognition Organizer for GIS (PRO-GIS) and Groundwater Recharge and Discharge Estimator for GIS (GRADE-GIS) for recharge pattern and rates estimation, respectively. Recharge rates estimated showed the distribution of recharge areas as 5.30, 11.03, 67.51, 6.38 and 9.78% for very high, high, medium, low and very low or no recharge, respectively. Recharge patterns extracted from recharge rate map showed almost similar results with its source map while those extracted from Digital Elevation Model (DEM) underestimated areas near river valleys. Generally, the area along Xi Ma River showed negative recharge meaning it maybe discharge zone.
Brown Henrick Nziku, Chen Zhi Hua and Hu Cheng, 2009. Groundwater Recharge Estimation Using the GIS Tool, PRO-GRADE in Ma Keng Iron Mining Area, China. Environmental Research Journal, 3: 120-126.