VES-GIS Application for Groundwater Potential and Aquifer Identification in Talang Kelapa District, Banyuasin, South Sumatra

Arif Muhammad (Study Program of Geophysical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia)
Andjarila Nurryska (Study Program of Geophysical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia)
Rizka (Study Program of Geophysical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia)

Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA
Vol. 27 No. 04 (2026): Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA (E-ISSN : 2549-7464) In Progress

Talang Kelapa District faces serious challenges regarding a high risk of groundwater drilling failure due to extreme lithological heterogeneity in the Gumai Formation. This study aims to identify aquifer geometry characteristics and accurately map groundwater potential zones to support sustainable water resource management. The method integrates Geographic Information System-Analytical Hierarchy Process (GIS-AHP) spatial analysis using six parameters: regional geology, slope, rainfall, drainage density, land use/land cover (LULC), and soil type. Subsurface validation was conducted using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) geophysical surveys with the Schlumberger configuration at six observation points to determine vertical resistivity profiles. The results show that the primary hydrogeological target is an unconfined aquifer system within sandstone layers, characterized by depths of 2.4–16.8 m and thicknesses reaching 21.9 m. The integration of these two methods produced a significant positive correlation between the Groundwater Potential Index (GPI) score and the actual aquifer thickness from VES, yielding a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.76. This study concludes that an integrative multi-criteria approach is an effective exploration instrument for recommending optimal drilling depths and minimizing technical exploration risks.