f A Report On Ground Geophysical Surveys Carried Out At Aliwal North, Badfontein And Kenegha Drift Hot Springs In The Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

There are seven recorded occurrences of hot springs in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. , Geophysical surveys were carried out across three springs namely Aliwal North, Badfontein and Kenegha Drift. The geology at Aliwal north and Badfontein consists of brownish-red and grey mudstone and sandstone. The geology at Kenegha Drift consists of thick layers of coarse pebbly feldspathic sandstone, mudstone and shale. The aim of the study was to investigate groundwater bearing structures in the vicinity of hot springs. The study involved application of electromagnetic conductivity and magnetic techniques. A Geonics EM34-3 electrical conductivity unit used in the horizontal dipole configuration with 10 m, 20 m and 40 m dipoles. The maximum depths of investigation for the three dipoles are 7.5 m, 15 m and 30 m respectively. Magnetic data was recorded using Geometrics G859 and 856AX magnetometers. The station separation for magnetic and electromagnetic surveys was 2.5 m and 10 m respectively. The magnetic data was presented as profiles. Electrical conductivity data was modeled using EM4Soil inversion software to generate conductivity depth sections. The maximum electrical conductivity values that were measured using different coil separations at the three hot springs are presented in Table 1. The high conductivity peaks could be associated with water bearing fractures or faults.