Indonesian Journal on Geoscience Vol. 8 No. 3 December 2021: 359-369

INDONESIAN JOURNAL ON GEOSCIENCE
Geological Agency
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
Journal homepage: h p://ijog.geologi.esdm.go.id
ISSN 2355-9314, e-ISSN 2355-9306

Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater
in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia
Gumilar Utama Nugraha1, Boy Yoseph Cahya Sunan Sakti Syah Alam2, Andi Agus Nur2,
Pulung Arya Pranantya3, Lina Handayani1, Rachmat Fajar Lubis1, and Hendra Bakti1
Research Center For Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia
2
Faculty of Geological Engineering, Padjadjaran University, Indonesia
3
Research Center For Water Resources, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Indonesia

G

1

Corresponding author: gumi001@lipi.go.id / gumilar15001@mail.unpad.ac.id
Manuscript received: December, 9, 2019; revised: January, 17, 2020;
approved: October, 29, 2020; available online: August, 13, 2021

IJ
O

Abstract - Continuously increasing population and progressive infrastructural development in the region of Kertajati
International Airport, Indonesia, emphasize the need to develop a sustainable water supply network. Airport facilities
require sufficient water resources, which can be obtained from surface water and groundwater. Groundwater exploration
can provide necessary information for assessing water resources. The purpose of this study is to analyze the configuration of aquifers in the studied area. A Schlumberger array was used to carry out twelve vertical electrical soundings
(VES) with AB/2 electrode spacing ranging from 1.5 m to 150 m. IPI2win software was used to qualitatively interpret
the VES results and it suggested the presence of three distinct lithological units interpreted as clay, alluvial sand, and
a Lower Quaternary formation. In general, resistivity values in the studied area can be divided into five resistivity
categories: very low resistivity with values ranging from 1 Ωm to 10 Ωm, low resistivity with values ranging from 10
Ωm to 50 Ωm, medium resistivity with values ranging from 50 Ωm to 100 Ωm, high resistivity with values ranging
from 100 Ωm to 200 Ωm, and very high resistivity with values > 200 Ωm. The geo-electric interpretation revealed
three geo-electric layers: topsoil (1 - 144 Ω m), sand (1 - 298 Ω m), and clay (1 - 82 Ω m). Aquifers in the studied area
are lithologically composed of sand. Clay is the dominant lithology in the studied area, so the presence of aquifers in
this area is very limited, and thus the supply of groundwater is also limited. The exploitation of groundwater must be
limited and controlled to maintain the sustainability of groundwater in the studied area.
Keywords: vertical electrical sounding, aquifer, groundwater, geo-electric layers
© IJOG - 2021

­

How to cite this article:
Nugraha, G.U., Alam, B.Y. C.S.S.S., Nur, A.A., Pranantya, P.A., Handayani, L., Lubis, R.F., and Bakti, H.,
2021. Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia. Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, 8 (3), p.359-369. DOI: 10.17014/ijog.8.3.359-369

Introduction
Background
Groundwater is a highly valuable natural
resource (Song et al., 2012) and an essential geological agent in the transport of mass and energy
within the earth (Llamas, 1987), providing a wide
variety of ecological and social services (Houben

and Weihe, 2010). The advantages of groundwater
over other sources of water have been emphasized
in literature (Bayewu et al., 2018). A high percentage of water users worldwide rely substantially
on groundwater (Reilly et al., 2008). Demand
for this resource has increased significantly
throughout the world due to population growth,
socio-economic development, technological and
Indexed by: SCOPUS

359

Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, Vol. 8 No. 3 December 2021: 359-369

most frequently used electrical resistivity tool in
groundwater studies, as it can give information
about subsurface rocks and structures at depths
useful for water exploration (Araffa et al., 2015).
It is also comparatively less expensive than other
methods, and its methodology is simple. The VES
technique is based on the fact that the subsurface
layer can only transmit current because of the
presence of water, since the rock itself is considered an insulator (Anomohanran, 2015). The VES
technique is thus widely used to explore groundwater resources (Hafeez et al., 2018; Mohamaden
et al., 2009), and has therefore been chosen to
analyze aquifer configurations in this study.

G

climatic changes (Alcamo, 2007). Despite its
advantage of easy accessibility, surface water is
often polluted by anthropogenic activities, making groundwater a desirable option to satisfy our
demand for quality water (Anomohanran, 2015).
The continuous increase in population and the
progressive infrastructural development in Kertajati area emphasize the need to develop a sustainable water supply network. Airport facilities
require sufficient water resources, which surface
water and groundwater are often used to fulfill.
Groundwater exploration can provide necessary
information for assessing water resources. The
purpose of this study is to analyze the configuration of aquifers in the area of Kertajati Airport.
Kertajati Airport is the second largest airport
in Indonesia, located in the Majalengka Regency,
northeastern part of West Java Province, approximately 68 km east of Bandung City.
The urgent need for groundwater has driven
the application of appropriate geophysical and
hydrogeologic exploration techniques (Anudu
et al., 2011) to locate areas of high and reliable
groundwater potential or to characterize seasonal
changes in near-surface aquifers (Webb et al.,
2011). A geophysical investigation is a powerful
tool for exploring subsurface geology and collecting information about subsurface layers and
structures (El-Sayed, 2010). Various geophysical
techniques or applications have been employed
in groundwater exploration in many parts of the
world, including magnetic resonance sounding
(MRS), remote sensing, geographic information
systems, seismic refraction, and electrical resistivity, among others (Kamble et al., 2012).
The electrical resistivity method has been
extensively used for groundwater aquifers mapping (Massoud et al., 2015), investigating aquifer
vulnerability (Sørensen et al., 2005), and freshwater/saline water studies (Khalil, 2010). The
electrical resistivity survey method is one of the
oldest geophysical exploration techniques and
has been extensively employed in environmental,
engineering, hydrological, archaeological, and
mineral exploration surveys (Reynolds, 2011).
Vertical electrical sounding (VES) has been the

IJ
O

Geological and Hydrogeological Settings
The geology of the studied area is composed
of Lower Quaternary sedimentary rocks (Qos)
and Holocene alluvium deposits (Qa) (Figure 1).
The Lower Quaternary sedimentary rocks extend
across almost all of the studied area and consist of
tuffaceous sandstone, sand, tuffaceous silt, clay,
conglomerate, and tuffaceous breccia containing
pumice, which crop out in Kertajati Village in the
form of conglomerates, and in Pasiripis Village
in the form of coarse sand. The weathering of
these rocks produces residual soils which include
clays subject to swelling (Hasibuan et al., 2009)
. Holocene-aged alluvium (Qa) deposits occur
in the southeastern part of the studied area, as
a result of flood deposition from the Cimanuk
River. This alluvium consists of clays, silts, sands,
and gravels which has been mainly deposited by
Holocene streams (Hasibuan et al., 2009). The
studied area has a widespread medium aquifer
consisting of undifferentiated sandstones and
tuffs, with groundwater flowing through the pore
spaces in the media (IWACO-WASECO, 1990).
A geoelectrical survey using VES was conducted on November 2015. The electrical resistivity of the studied area was measured using a
GL-4100 Earth Resistivity meter. A Schlumberger
array was used to carry out 12 VES with AB/2
electrode spacing ranging from 1.5 m to 150
m (Figure 2). These stations are referred to as
MJL-01 - MJL-12. The geo-electrical method

360

Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater
in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia (G.U. Nugraha et al.)
108 6’0” E
o

108 12’0” E
o

108o9’0” E

108 15’0” E

108 18’0” E

o

6 33’0” S

o

o

6 33’0” S

108 3’0” E

o

o

N

3

4.5

6

6 36’0” S

6 36’0” S

0 0.75 1.5

Legend:

o

o

Lithology
Qa
Alluvium: clays, silts, sands, gravels.
Mainly deposits of Holocene Streams.

Qos

Qos

o

6 42’0” S

o

Qa

6 42’0” S

6 39’0” S

6 39’0” S

Qos
Tuffaceous sandstones, sands,
tuffaceous silts, clays, conglomerate,
tuffaceous breccia containing pumice,
as revealed in Kertajati Village
in the form of conglomerates
and Pasiripis Village in the form of
coarse sand

o

o

G

Study area

108 3’0” E
o

108 6’0” E

108 9’0” E

o

o

108 12’0” E
o

108 15’0” E
o

108 18’0” E
o

Figure 1. Geological map of the studied area.

VES station MJL-05 and the geological data obtained from well TW-88. The measured vertical
electrical soundings were interpreted qualitatively
and quantitatively to build a geo-electrical model,
which was initiated using all available data about
the geologic and hydrogeologic settings. The data
were calculated to obtain the apparent resistivity
and thickness values, which were again used in
the computerized interpretation to obtain the true
resistivity and thicknesses of the various layers
encountered. The interpretation of geo-electrical
resistivity data from the twelve VES curves was
conducted by converting the values of AB/2
and ρa into a multilayer model. The quantitative
interpretation has been applied to determine the
correlation between the geo-electrical parameters
obtained from station MJL-05 and geological
information from drilled hole TW-88 (Figure 3).
The initial models have been constructed using
the available geologic data from the existing
boreholes. IPI2 win is a programme provided
by Moscow State University, Russia, to produce
quantitative interpretations of the geo-electrical
sounding curves. It is an inverse modeling programme for interpreting resistivity sounding

fi

IJ
O

was adopted in this study, because it is a useful
tool for ascertaining the subsurface geology of
an area (Tizro et al., 2012). VES data interpretation aims to determine the true resistivities and
thicknesses of the successive strata below the
different stations, utilizing measured eld curves
(El-Gawad et al., 2018). The apparent resistivity
(ρa) values were obtained from the voltage (mV)
and current (mA) read from the resistivity meter
and its calculated corresponding geometric factor
(Zohdy, 1975).
A VES station, MJL-05, was located beside a
borehole with known lithologic logs to serve as
parametric measurements, which were helpful
in interpreting the VES data (El-Gawad et al.,
2017). The lithology data obtained from well
TW-88, which were drilled by the Groundwater
Development Project (P2AT), Ministry of Public
Works, Republic of Indonesia, were used to calibrate the geo-electrical models obtained from the
apparent resistivity curves. Figure 3 shows the
correlation between geo-electrical parameters
of well TW-88 and the geology obtained from
station MJL-05. Figure 3 shows the correlation
between geo-electrical parameters measured at

361

Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, Vol. 8 No. 3 December 2021: 359-369

108 10’0”E

108 12’30”E

o

120 0’0”E

o

10 0’0”N

140 0’0”E

o

o

Indonesia

o

10 0’0”S

o

108 17’30”E

o

100 0’0”E

A’

TW132

calibration well
106 0’0”E

107 0’0”E
o

6 0’0”S

o

o

MJL-05

C

o

MJL-02

6 2’30”S

TW137

N

MJL-10

B

G

Sumedang Regency

o

7 0’0”S

Central Java

MJL-06

TW141
TW145
TW136
MJL-09

o

Majalengka Regency

West Java

o

MJL-08

TW135

8 0’0”S

o

6 40’0”S

B’

TW142

o

6 7’30”S

o

6 7’30”S

TW-147 TW164
TW133
TW215

MJL-07

109 0’0”E

o

DKI Jakarta

Banten

MJL-04
TW144

108 0’0”E

6 40’0”S

o

MJL-11

C’

o

o

6 35’0”S

108 15’0”E

o

MJL-03

o

o

6 32’30”S

o

6 32’30”S

108 7’30”E

o

6 35’0”S

108 5’0”E

o

6 2’30”S

108 2’30”E

0

1

2

6

4

8

o

o

km

VES Points

A

108o2’30”E

108o5’0”E

108o7’30”E

Cross section lines

MJL-12

Borthilogy events

108o10’0”E

108o12’30”E

108o15’0”E

108o17’30”E

Figure 2. Location map of sampling sites in the studied area.

Lithology Log
Project:
Location:
VES Point ID:
Kertajati VES Kertajati
TW88
Client:
Geophysicist: Electrode Array:
GumilarUtamas TW88
Easting:
Northing:
Longitude:
188374
9264764
Elevation:
Datum:
Total Depth:
66
WGS 84
155
Lithology
Well Construction
cover

IJ
O

Interpreted VES MJL5

100

ρ

a

Depth(m)

0

10

cement

20

10

screen

30

casing
casing
screen

40

casing

50

AB/2

1

1

10

100

1000

Weather:
Shinny
Equipment
Latitude:
Date:
15 Nov 2015

Well Point
TW
88

Description

Top soil: mixing sand, clay, and silt

fine sand

light brown clay

fine sand
dark brown clay
fine sand
light brown clay

screen

fine sand

casing

grey clay

60
70
80

N

ρ

h

d

Alt

1

54

0.75

0.75

-0.75

2

1

0.883

1.63

-1.633

3

15.1

2.81

4.44

-4.443

4

1

9

13.4

-13.44

5

7

90

100

screen

110

casing

coarse sand

light brown clay

120
130
140
150
160

screen

coarse sand

casing

brown-green clay

screen

coarse sand

screen

coarse sand

?

Figure 3. Corelation between lithological data and the interpreted results of vertical electrical sounding (VES) station MJL5.

data in a layered earth (1-D) model. In order to
perform this step, sounding curves were entered
362

as apparent resistivity versus spacing (AB/2) for
the Schlumberger soundings. The results of geo-

Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater
in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia (G.U. Nugraha et al.)

electric survey were used to establish the depth
of the aquifer layer and to construct a geo-electric
section for the studied area. These results were
then used to describe the geological framework
for the studied area (Tizro et al., 2012; Anomohanran, 2015). The pseudosections and geoelectrical resistivity sections were obtained from
the quantitative interpretation of the VES data.

Table 1. Vertical Electrical Sounding Point Locations
VES
Points

Results

Lat

Easting

Northing

Z
(m)

MJL1

108.1786 -6.62436

188005

9266890

69

MJL2

108.1297 -6.6795

182632

9260756

66

MJL3

108.1781 -6.5405

187904

9276171

40

MJL4

108.1586 -6.62777

185793

9266500

69

MJL5

108.1817 -6.64369

188368

9264752

66

MJL6

108.1987 -6.65247

190249

9263791

68

MJL7

108.1067 -6.64422

180059

9264646

74

MJL8

108.1259 -6.6592

182193

9263000

66

MJL9

108.1483 -6.66887

184677

9261944

66

MJL10

108.1677 -6.68682

186837

9259970

66

MJL11

108.0999 -6.59537

179275

9270048

40

MJL12

108.169

187017

9254166

65

-6.73927

G

Twelve VES measurements were conducted
at locations around the area of West Java International Airport, Kertajati Subregency, Majalengka
Regency, West Java Province (Table 1).
Resistivity values in the studied area can be
divided into five resistivity categories: very low
resistivity with values ranging from 1 Ωm to 10
Ωm, low resistivity with values varying from 10
Ωm to 50 Ωm, medium resistivity with values
ranging from 50 Ωm to 100 Ωm, high resistivity
with values between 100 Ωm and 200 Ωm, and
very high resistivity categories with values >
200 Ωm. Table 2 shows the details of resistivity
and the thickness for each layer as inferred from
resistivity inversion using IPI2win software.
The inversion result was interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively using the geological
and lithological information from Hasibuan et al.
(2009) and drill hole section from the Groundwater Development Project (P2AT) by the Ministry of Public Works, Republic of Indonesia, as

Lon

IJ
O

described in the previous section. The number of
units was interpreted as three to seven resistivity
layers. These layers have true resistivities ranging
between 1 and 298 Ω m, with various thicknesses.
The VES interpretation revealed three layers:
topsoil (1 - 144 Ω m), sand (1 - 298 Ω m), and
clay (1 - 82 Ω m). A detailed description for each
station can be seen on Table 3.
Groundwater
At MJL-01, the aquifer layer was interpreted
lithologically as a sand layer at a depth range of
5 - 14 m, with an aquifer resistivity value of 31
Ωm. At MJL-02, the aquifer layer was interpreted
lithologically as a sand layer at a depth range of
13 - 40 m, with an aquifer resistivity value of 133
Ωm. At MJL-03, the aquifer layer was estimated to
lie at a depth range of 2 - 71 m, with an aquifer re-

Table 2. Resistivity and Thickness of Each Layer
VES ID
MJL1
MJL2
MJL3
MJL4
MJL5
MJL6
MJL7
MJL8
MJL9
MJL10
MJL11
MJL12

Resistivity (ρ) Ωm

Thickness (h) m

ρ1

ρ2

ρ3

ρ4

ρ5

ρ6

ρ7

h1

h2

h3

h4

h5

h6

h7

141
1
45
22
54
1
1
42
3
1
5
5

14
5
8
82
1
13
4
9
19
8
1
42

31
1
13
8
15
1
2
41
1
1
33
1

14
133
247
298
1
6
7
27
10
1
33

34
1
7
1
1
2

5
258
-

233
-

1
3
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

1
3
2
2
1
1
4
8
1
1
7
1

3
7
69
5
3
18
18
91
3
2
15
3

9
27
79
12
9
130
127
12
8
128
10

24
98
137
83
21
135

64
118
-

48
-

363

Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, Vol. 8 No. 3 December 2021: 359-369

Table 3. VES Interpretation and Their Inferred Lithologies

MJL1

MJL2

MJL3

MJL4

MJL5

MJL6

Resistivity (Ohm-m)

Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Layer 6
Layer 7
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Layer 6
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5

141
14
31
14
34
5
233
1
5
1
133
45
8
13
247
22
82
8
298
1
54
1
15
1
7
1
13
1
6
1
4
2
7
42
9
41
3
19
1
27
1
1
8
1
10
1
258
5
1
33
1
5
42
1
33
2

Thickness (m)
1
1
3
9
24
64
48
3
3
7
27
1
2
69
79
3
2
5
12
98
1
1
3
9
137
1
1
18
130
1
4
18
127
1
8
91
1
1
3
12
83
1
1
2
8
21
118
1
7
15
128
1
1
3
10
135

IJ
O

MJL7

No of Layers

MJL8

MJL9

MJL10

MJL11

MJL12

sistivity value of 247 Ωm. At MJL-04, the aquifer
layer was estimated to lie at a depth range of 5 - 9
m, with an aquifer resistivity value of 298 Ωm. At
MJL-05, the aquifer layer was estimated to occur
at a depth range of 13 - 150 m, with an aquifer
resistivity value of 7 Ωm. At MJL-06, the aquifer
layer was estimated to exist at a depth range of 2
- 20 m, with an aquifer resistivity value of 6 Ωm.
At MJL-07, the aquifer layer was estimated to
364

Depth (m)

Inferred Lithology

1
2
5
14
38
102
150
3
6
13
40
1
2
71
150
3
5
9
22
120
1
2
4
13
150
1
2
20
150
1
5
23
150
1
9
100
1
2
5
17
100
1
2
4
12
32
150
1
8
23
150
1
2
5
15
150

Top Soil
Top Soil
Sand
Clay
Sand
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Clay
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Top Soil
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Clay
Clay
Sand
Clay
Top Soil
Sand
Clay
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Top Soil
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Clay
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Top Soil
Clay
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Top Soil
Clay
Sand
Clay
Sand
Top Soil
Clay
Sand
Clay
Top Soil
Top Soil
Clay
Sand
Clay

G

VES No.

occur at a depth range of 5 - 23 m, with an aquifer
resistivity value of 7 Ωm. At MJL-09, the aquifer
layer was estimated to appear at a depth range
of 5 - 17 m, with an aquifer resistivity value of 1
Ωm. At MJL-10, the aquifer layer was estimated
to lie at a depth range of 4 - 12 m, with an aquifer
resistivity value of 258 Ωm. At MJL-11, the aquifer layer was estimated to occur at a depth range
of 4 - 12 m, with an aquifer resistivity value of 33

Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater
in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia (G.U. Nugraha et al.)

Aquifer Resistivity

350

300

MJL 4; 298 Ωm

250

MJL 10; 258 Ωm

MJL 3; 247 Ωm

200

IJ
O

Resistivity (Ω m)

the aquifer in the studied area (Dobrin and Savit,
1988; Kearey and Brooks, 1991; Reynolds, 1997;
Telford et al., 1990; Tiab and Donaldson, 2012).
Figure 6a shows a sand layer thickening
towards the north. The existence of this continuous layer shows that this layer is part of the
hydrogeological system in the studied area. The
impermeable zone of the groundwater system in
the studied area was dominated by the presence
of a clay layer which acts as an aquiclude layer in
the studied area. Aquiclude layers may store water
easily, but do not transmit the groundwater easily
(Fetter, 2001; Freeze and Cherry, 1979; Harter,

G

Ω. At MJL-12, the aquifer layer was estimated to
exist at a depth range of 5 - 15 m, with an aquifer
resistivity value of 33 Ωm. The detailed summary
of aquifer resistivity is described in Figure 4.
The values of aquifer resistivity in the studied
area are very diverse (Figure 5). This is consistent
with previous studies that measured the resistivity values of sand layer aquifers (Maiti et al.,
2011; Obiora and Ibuot, 2020; Reynolds, 1997;
Telford et al., 1990). Differences in the degree of
compaction and also the physical properties of
the sand within the aquifer layer can cause very
significant differences in the resistivity values of

150

MJL 7; 7 Ωm

MJL 2; 133 Ωm

MJL 6; 6 Ωm

100

MJL 12; 33 Ωm

MJL 8; 41 Ωm

MJL 5; 7 Ωm

50

MJL 9; 1 Ωm

MJL 1; 31 Ωm

0

MJL 11; 33 Ωm

Figure 4. Aquifer resistivity chart of studied area.

Aquifer Resistivity (ohm meter)

20

60

100

140 180

220

260 300

Figure 5. Aquifer resistivity map of studied area.

365

Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, Vol. 8 No. 3 December 2021: 359-369

A

a MJL 12

5806.8 m

MJL 10

MJL 4

6612.9 m

A’
MJL

9898.7 m

B

b MJL10

MJL8

2695.0 m

B’
MJL

60

50
40

50

30

40

20

30

10

20

0

10

-10

0

-20

-10

-30
-40

-20

-50

-30

-60

-40

-70

-90

2999.1 m

70

60

-80

MJL9

2926.1 m

Lithology

-50

Clay

Clay

-60

Lithology
Sand

Top soil

20000

c

Top soil

-70

-100
0
-110
C
MJL 6

Sand

2112.3m

MJL 5

-80 0

MJL 4

3112.3m

2000

7421.1 m

4000

6000

8000

C’
MJL

50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70

IJ
O

-80

G

60

-90

Lithology
Clay

Sand

-100
0
-110

5000

Top soil

10000

Figure 6. Cross-sections of 12 measured points in the studied area. (a). A - A cross-section; (b). B - B cross-section; (c). C - C
cross-section. (Cross-section lines are presented in Figure 2).

2003). The clay layer can be classified as an aquiclude layer (Freeze and Cherry, 1979; Fetter, 2001;
Lopez-Gunn et al., 2011; Singhal and Gupta,
2010), while the sand layer can both store and
transmit groundwater, acting as an aquifer (Freeze
and Cherry, 1979; Fetter, 2001; Wal, 2010). The
pattern distribution of sand in cross-section 1
tends to follow the elevation of the studied area.
A layer of sand that is thick enough to serve as
an aquifer is found at the MJL-10 VES station,
but nevertheless does not have the potential to be
an aquifer, because it is present only locally and
noncontinuously. Groundwater may be present in
this layer but is not sustainable, because it does not
have a continuous water supply. Figure 6b shows
a layer of sand that is thick enough to act as an
aquifer, with a small lens from the clay layer. In
this cross-section, the sand layer functions as an
aquifer layer and the clay layer functions as an

366

aquiclude. Figure 6c shows that the sand layer is
continuous towards the northwest. The clay layer
dominates in almost all cross-sections, and the
aquifer potential is found in the sand layer.
Figures 6a and 6b show that the clay layer
predominates in all studied areas. Due to the
dominance of the clay layer compared to the sand
layer, the presence of aquifers in the studied area
is very limited. With limited aquifer layers, the
groundwater supply in the studied area is also
limited (Fetter, 2001; Lopez-Gunn et al., 2011;
Ramsar, 2006). Figure 6 shows the geometry of
the aquifer, which suggests that groundwater cannot be exploited excessively if the sustainability
of groundwater in the studied area is not to be
maintained. IWACO-WASECO (1990) states
that in the studied area, there is an aquifer with
medium potential. Resistivity values indicate that
clay layers dominate the studied area.

Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater
in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia (G.U. Nugraha et al.)

Conclusions

IJ
O

G

Twelve VES measurement points were conducted around the area of West Java International
Airport, Kertajati Subregency, Majalengka Regency, West Java Province. In general, resistivities in the studied area can be divided into five
categories from very low resistivity to very high
resistivity. Aquifer resistivities falling into all of
these categories are found in the studied area.
The aquifer resistivity values for each VES station are 31 Ωm for MJL1, 133 Ωm for MJL2,
247 Ωm for MJL3, 298 Ωm for MJL4, 7 Ωm for
MJL5, 6 Ωm for MJL6, 7 Ωm for MJL7, 41 Ωm
for MJL8, 1 Ωm for MJL9, 258 Ωm for MJL10,
33 Ωm for MJL11, and 33 Ωm for MJL12. In
general, aquifers in the studied area are lithologically composed of sand. The sandy aquifer
layer was typically found at relatively shallow
depths of less than 20 m, although at a few sites
the aquifer extended deeper. The dominance of
the clay layer compared to the sand layer means
that the presence of aquifers in the studied site is
very limited, and that the groundwater supply at
the studied site is thus also limited. Groundwater
exploitation, therefore, cannot be excessive but
must be moderate and controlled to maintain the
sustainability of groundwater in the studied area.

Sciences Journal, 52 (2), p.247-275. DOI:
10.1623/hysj.52.2.247
Anomohanran, O., 2015. Hydrogeophysical
investigation of aquifer properties and lithological strata in Abraka, Nigeria. Journal of
African Earth Sciences, 102, p.247-253. DOI:
10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2014.10.006
Anudu, G.K., Onuba, L.N., and Ufondu, L.S.,
2011. Geoelectric sounding for groundwater
exploration in the crystalline basement terrain
around Onipe and adjoining areas, southwestern Nigeria. Journal of Applied Technology in
Environmental Sanitation, 1 (4), p.343-354.
Araffa, S.A.S., Sabet, H.S., and Gaweish, W.R.,
2015. Integrated geophysical interpretation
for delineating the structural elements and
groundwater aquifers at central part of Sinai
Peninsula, Egypt. Journal of African Earth
Sciences, 105, p.93-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.
jafrearsci.2015.02.011
Bayewu, O.O., Oloruntola, M.O., Mosuro, G.O.,
Laniyan, T.A., Ariyo, S.O., and Fatoba, J.O.,
2018. Assessment of groundwater prospect
and aquifer protective capacity using resistivity method in Olabisi Onabanjo University campus, Ago-Iwoye, southwestern
Nigeria. NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and
Geophysics, 7, p.347-360. DOI: 10.1016/j.
nrjag.2018.05.002
Dobrin, M.B. and Savit, C.H., 1988. Introduction to Geophysical Prospecting. 4th Edition.
McGraw-Hill, New York.
El-Gawad, A.M.S.A., Helaly, A.S., and El-Latif,
M.S.E.A., 2018. Application of geo-electrical
measurements for detecting the groundwater
seepage in clay quarry at Helwan, southeastern Cairo, Egypt. NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and Geophysics, 7, p.377-389. DOI:
10.1016/j.nrjag.2018.04.003
El-Gawad, A.M.S.A., Kotb, A.D.M., and Hussien,
G.H.G., 2017. Geo-electrical contribution
for delineation the groundwater potential
and subsurface structures on Tushka Area,
Egypt. NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and
Geophysics, 6, p.379-394. DOI: 10.1016/j.
nrjag.2017.10.003

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to give our highest
appreciation to the Director of the Research
Centre for Geotechnology of the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences, Eko Yulianto, Ph.D., who
gave constructive suggestions, and to DRPMI
Universitas Padjadjaran for the funding of this
research

References
Alcamo, J., 2007. Future long-term changes in
global water resources driven by socio economic and climatic changes. Hydrological

367

Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, Vol. 8 No. 3 December 2021: 359-369

Treatise on Water Science, 1, p. 97-127. DOI:
10.1016/B978-0-444-53199-5.00010-5
Maiti, S., Gupta, G., Erram, V.C., and Tiwari,
R.K., 2011. Inversion of schlumberger resistivity sounding data from the critically
dynamic Koyna region using the hybrid Monte
Carlo-based neural network approach. Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, 18 (2), p.179192. DOI: 10.5194/npg-18-179-2011
Massoud, U., Soliman, M., Taha, A., Khozym,
A., and Salah, H., 2015. 1D and 3D inversion of VES data to outline a fresh water
zone oating over saline water body at the
northwestern coast of Egypt. NRIAG Journal
of Astronomy and Geophysics, 4, p.283-292.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nrjag.2015.11.001
Mohamaden, M.I.I., Abu Shagar, S., Abdallah,
and Gamal A., 2009. Geoelectrical survey for
groundwater exploration at the Asyuit Governorates, Nile Valley, Egypt. Journal King
Abdulaziz University, 20 (in press).
Obiora, D.N. and Ibuot, J.C., 2020. Geophysical assessment of aquifer vulnerability and
management: a case study of University of
Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State. Applied Water
Science, 10 (1), p.1-11. DOI: 10.1007/s13201019-1113-7
Ramsar, 2006. Managing groundwater. Water
Policy.
Reilly, T., Dennehy, K.F., Alley, W.M., and Cunningham, W.L., 2008. Groundwater availability in the United State. US Geological Society
Circular, 1323, 70pp.
Reynolds, J.M., 1997. An introduction to applied
and environmental geophysics. In: An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics. DOI: 10.1071/ pvv2011n155other
Reynolds, J.M., 2011. An Introduction to Applied
and Environmental Geophysics, 2nd Edition.
John Wiley and Sons, England.
Singhal, B.B.S. and Gupta, R.P., 2010. Applied
Hydrogeology of Fractured Rocks: 2nd Edition,
408pp. DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-8799-7
Song, L., Zhu, J., Yan, Q., and Kang, H., 2012.
Estimation of groundwater levels with vertical electrical sounding in the semiarid area of

fi

­

IJ
O

G

fl

El-Sayed, H.M., 2010. Environmental Investigation on Lake Maryut, West of Alexandria,
Egypt: Geochemical, Geophysical and Remote Sensing Studies. M.Sc. Thesis. Alex.
University, Egypt.
Fetter, C.W., 2001. Applied Hydrogeology.
Freeze, R.A. and Cherry, J.A., 1979. Groundwater.
Hafeez, Th.H., Sabet, H.S., El-Sayed, A.N., and
Zayed, M.A., 2018. Geo-electrical exploration of groundwater at West Dayrout Area,
Assiut Governorate, Egypt. NRIAG Journal
of Astronomy and Geophysics, 7, p.279-296.
Harter, T., 2003. Basic Concepts of Groundwater
Hydrology, p.1-6. DOI: 10.3733/ucanr.8083
Hasibuan, G., Sudarsono, U., Sudjarwo, I.B.,
and Candana, I.B.P.A., 2009. Geologi teknik
daerah Kertajati Kabupaten Majalengka, Jawa
Barat. Buletin Geologi Tata Lingkungan, 19
(3), p.125-134.
Houben, G.J. and Weihe, U., 2010. Spatial distribution of incrustations around a water well
after 38 years of use. Ground Water, 48, p.5358. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2009.00641.x
IWACO-WASECO, 1990. Hydrogeological Map:
Majalengka. West Java Provincial Water
Source Master Plan for Water Supply.
Kamble, R.K., Panvalkar, G.A., and Bhowmick,
S., 2012. Electrical resistivity logging for assessing nature of foundation at Kaiga nuclear
power plant. Journal of Industrial Geophysics
Union, 16, p.161-167.
Kearey, P. and Brooks, M., 1991. An Introduction
to Geophysical Exploration. 2nd Edition. An
Introduction to Geophysical Exploration.
Khalil, M.H., 2010. Hydro-geophysical con
guration for the quaternary aquifer of Nuweiba alluvial fan. Journal of Environmental
and Engineering Geophysics, 15 (2), p.77-90.
DOI: 10.2113/JEEG15.2.77
Llamas, M.R., 1987. Groundwater: the role of the
international association of hydrogeologists.
Environmental Geology, 9, p.67-69.
Lopez-Gunn, E., Llamas, M. R., Garrido, A., and
Sanz, D., 2011. Groundwater Management. In

368

Vertical Electrical Sounding Exploration of Groundwater
in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia (G.U. Nugraha et al.)

Wal, A. van der, 2010. Understanding Groundwater and Wells in Manual Drilling, 49. http://
www.unicef.org/wash/files/04.pdf.
Webb, S.J., Ngobeni, D., Jones, M., Abive, T.,
Devkurran, N., Goba, R., and Ashwal, L.D.,
2011. Hydrogeophysical investigation for
groundwater at the Dayspring children’s
village, South Africa, Lead. Edge, 30 (4),
p.434-440. DOI: 10.1190/1.3575291.
Zohdy, A.A.R., 1975. Automatic interpretation
of Schlumberger sounding curves using
modi ed Dar Zarrouk functions, Bulletin,
B-E, U.S. Geological Survey, 13. DOI:
10.3133/b1313E

IJ
O

G

fi

South Keerqin sandy aquifer, China. Journal
of Applied Geophysics, 83, p.11-18. DOI:
10.1016/j.jappgeo.2012.03.011
Sørensen, K.I., Auken, E., Christensen, N.B.,
and Pellerin, L., 2005. An integrated approach for hydrogeophysical investigations: new technologies and a case history.
Near-Surf. Geophysics, 2, p.585-603. DOI:
10.1190/1.9781560801719.ch21
Telford, W.M., Geldart, L.P., and Sheriff, R.E.,
1990. Telford-Applied Geophysics. In Book.
DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1982.046.341.32
Tiab, D. and Donaldson, E.C., 2012. Petrophysics.
DOI: 10.1016/ C2009-0-64503-7
Tizro, A.T., Voudouris, K., and Basami, Y., 2012.
Estimation of porosity and specific yield by
application of geoelectrical method–A case
study in western Iran. Journal of Hydrology,
454-455, p.160-172.

369