Earth Sciences Research Journal

This paper reports the utility of palaeomagnetic investigations first time in the ground water studies. The magnetic anomalies along with palaeomagnetic studies are used to locate barriers obstructing groundwater flow in a basaltic terrain. Magnetic anomalies in an area of around 4 sq. km in the university campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India brought out two distinct anomaly closures that can be attributed to bodies with different directions of magnetizations. Palaeomagnetic investigations reveal that the basalts are almost uniformly magnetized, asserting that the anomalies come form the subsurface and the anomalous sources are attributed to weathering of basal basaltic flows. The difference between the measured palaeomagnetic directions of the surface rocks and the observed magnetic anomalies, in corroboration with local geomorphologic conditions and thenature of the basaltic flows in thin basaltic terrains suggest that subsurface weathering plays a major role in the ground water movement. This paper presents a novel idea on the utilization of the palaeomagnetic studies coupled with ground magnetic anomalies in deciphering groundwater flow.