US Egypt Cooperative Research: Groundwater Management and Preservation of Egyptian Antiquities and Monuments: New Hydrogeologic Analysis

阿斯旺高坝修建后水资源和农业资源管理的变化以及土地利用的变化所造成的地下水地质环境影响正在威胁着上埃及尼罗河谷的古迹和寺庙以及地下水的数量和质量。其后果包括Kom Ombo、Edfu、Esna、卢克索、Karnak、Medinet Habu、Madamoud、Dendara和Abydos等著名古迹和寺庙遭到破坏。其他后果包括地下水和土壤污染、地下水上升导致土壤盐碱化增加和土壤肥力下降、缺乏有效的排水系统和农业投入。美国PI将与Ayman A博士合作。埃及索哈杰大学的艾哈迈德博士，评估影响上埃及卢克索地区的地下水地质环境影响。该项目将利用地下水建模、地理信息系统（G1 S）和遥感（RS）对尼罗河流域和美国类似类型的灌溉农业系统进行比较研究。拟议项目的应用之一是改进地下水模型，使其足够可靠，以支持如何最好地管理该系统的决策，从而最大限度地减少或消除考古遗址的内涝，同时满足该地区的核心水资源需求。该提案的目标是：（1）继续改进尼罗河流域含水层模型，包括模型校准和敏感性分析;（2）对各种水资源管理备选方案的短期和长期后果进行深入的建模分析;（3）建立该系统的地下水流和污染物迁移模型，并应用于分析地下水数量和质量的可持续性;（4）建立地下水管理模型，以平衡1972年至今的土地利用变化。项目执行人将对尼罗河谷含水层系统和美国西部冲积盆地的类似灌溉农业系统进行比较分析，并测试降低卢克索地区地下水位的管理备选方案，从而改善水质，减缓土壤和地下水的盐碱化。美国和埃及的PI预计这些研究成果将带来重大利益，包括对尼罗河流域考古保护的潜在影响，美国和埃及团队之间的知识和方法交流，以及可用于向政策制定者提供土地利用方案的结果。 一名美国研究生将参与研究工作，并将有机会前往埃及从事国际研究合作。 该项目由美国-埃及联合基金计划资助，该计划为两国的科学家和工程师提供赠款，以进行合作研究。

Groundwater geoenvironmental impacts caused by changes in water and agricultural resource management after construction of the Aswan High dam and land use change are threatening monuments and temples as well as groundwater quantity and quality in the Nile Valley, Upper Egypt. Consequences include damages to the famous monuments and temples of Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor, Karnak, Medinet Habu, Madamoud, Dendara, and Abydos. Other consequences include groundwater and soil contamination, increasing soil salinity and decreasing soil fertility due to groundwater rise, lack of efficient drainage and agricultural inputs. The US PI will collaborate with Dr. Ayman A. Ahmed from Sohag University in Egypt to evaluate groundwater geoenvironmental impacts that are affecting the Luxor area of Upper Egypt.Intellectual Merit. The project will utilize groundwater modeling, geographic information system (G1S) and remote sensing (RS) to conduct comparative studies between the Nile Valley and similar types of irrigated agrosystems in United States. One of the applications of the proposed project is to improve the groundwater model to be sufficiently reliable to support decision making on how best to manage the system so that water-logging of the archeological sites is minimized or eliminated, while satisfying core water resources needs in the region. The objectives of the proposal are to achieve (1) continued improvements to the Nile Valley aquifer model, including model calibration and sensitivity analysis; (2) in-depth modeling analysis of short- and long-term consequences of various water resource management alternatives; (3) construction of groundwater flow and contaminant transport models of the system and application toward analysis of groundwater quantity and quality sustainability; and (4) construction of groundwater management models to balance the change in land use since 1972 to present. The PIs will conduct a comparative analysis between the Nile Valley aquifer system and the similar irrigated agrosystem of western U.S. alluvial basins and test management alternatives for lowering the water table at Luxor area, thereby improving the water quality and slowing the salinization of soils and groundwater.Broader Impacts. The US and Egyptian PIs anticipate significant benefits from these research results, including the potential to impact archaeological preservation in the Nile Valley, the exchange of knowledge and methodologies between the US and Egyptian teams, and outcomes that can be used to inform policy makers about land use options. A US graduate student will be engaged in the research effort and will have an opportunity to travel to Egypt to engage in international research collaboration. The project is funded under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to undertake cooperative research.