Hydrogeological characterization of fractured basement aquifers using an integrated analysis in the Agnéby-Tiassa region of southern Côte d’Ivoire

Hydrogeological characterization of fractured basement aquifers using an integrated analysis in the Agnéby-Tiassa region of southern Côte d’Ivoire | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Hydrogeological characterization of fractured basement aquifers using an integrated analysis in the Agnéby-Tiassa region of southern Côte d’Ivoire Vincent Tchimou Assoma, Aimé Koudou, Marc Youan Ta, Mahmoud Diaby, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9237546/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Access to safe drinking water in the Agnéby-Tiassa region (southern Côte d'Ivoire) faces major challenges due to the inadequacy of surface water resources and a poor understanding of the potential of basement aquifers, which are often obscured by a thick regolith mantle and dense vegetation. This study proposes an integrated methodological approach aimed at a detailed characterization of the hydrogeological potential of these fractured formations to optimise the siting of high-yield boreholes. This synergistic approach combines: (i) the processing of Sentinel-1 radar images in VV and VH polarisations for structural lineament mapping, (ii) the acquisition of electrical resistivity data by profiling (Schlumberger array) over identified anomalies, and (iii) the statistical analysis of the technical parameters from 307 boreholes (yield, regolith thickness, depth and lithology). Interpretation of the radar imagery enabled the production of a dense fracture map comprising 458 major lineaments, with dominant east‒west (N82°-N97°), Liberian (N120°-N160°), and Eburnean (N30°-N60°) trends, confirming the intensity of tectonic deformation in the region. Ground geophysical investigations, targeted at these structures, revealed conductive anomalies in "U", "V", or "W" shapes, interpreted as zones of open fractures and/or thickened regolith, favourable for water storage. An analysis of the borehole data indicates that the most productive yields (Q > 2.5 m³/h) are associated with granitic and volcanosedimentary schist lithological contexts, characterized by a regolith thickness ranging from 15‒80 meters. This study demonstrates the relevance and effectiveness of a multisource approach for overcoming geological challenges in basement terrain groundwater exploration. This study provides a reproducible methodological framework for reducing failure rates and optimising rural water supply drilling campaigns. Sentinel-1 electrical resistivity borehole basement aquifer fractures Agnéby-Tiassa Côte d'Ivoire Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 15 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 23 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 08 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 06 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 03 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9237546","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":624933289,"identity":"f19717f8-fa2a-4e1a-858e-077fae2e2948","order_by":0,"name":"Vincent Tchimou 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