Land cover change and water balance of Mt. Guna, northwestern Ethiopia

Mt. Guna is a distinct Miocene shield volcano on the Ethiopian plateau. Its surface waters drain radially, whereas deep percolated water feeds a series of springs at the interface between Mt. Guna ’s volcanic tuffs and the underlying Ashangi Trap basalt. This study fills the knowledge gap for reconstructing the past hydro(geo)logical and geomorphological changes and for predicting future scenarios on similar Miocene volcanoes in the Ethiopian highlands. The research project is funded by Ghent University Special Research Fund (BOF) doctoral grants for candidates from developing countries. However, due to the impact of COVID-19 and security problems in the area, the progress of this project has been affected.  

Keywords:water balance, Land cover change, Mt. Guna, groundwater recharge, runoff

Disciplines:Hydrogeology, Surface water hydrology