Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand 

Travertine Area of Interest

By Michael P. Chornack and Thomas J. Mack

25C.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the geohydrology of the South Helmand travertine area of interest (AOI) 

in southern Afghanistan identified by Peters and others (2007). The AOI is located in the Dishu and 

Garmser Districts in southeast Helmand Province and the Reg District in southwest Kandahar Province. 

The AOI encompasses an area of 6,628 km2 (square kilometers). The southern boundary of the AOI, 

known as the Chagai Hills, forms the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan (fig. 25C–1a,b). The 

Chagai Hills also form the southwestern extent of the Registan, a desert region whose name locally 

means “land of sand.” The Registan extends into the northern part of the AOI and is characterized by 

active dunes (Whitney, 2006). Lashkar Gah, the province center for Helmand Province and the closest 

major population center to the AOI in Afghanistan, is approximately 195 km (kilometers) northnortheast of the AOI. 

Water is needed not only to process mineral resources in Afghanistan, but also to supply existing 

communities and the associated community growth that may accompany a developing mining economy. 

Information on the climate, vegetation, topography, and demographics of the AOI is summarized to 

provide information on the seasonal availability of, and seasonal demands for, water. The geohydrology 

of the AOI is described through the use of maps of streams and irrigated areas, generalized 

geohydrology and topography, and well locations. The results of lineament analyses are presented to 

identify areas where the rock may be more fractured than in other areas, which may be an indicator of 

high relative water yield and storage in bedrock aquifers. 

Afghanistan’s recent turbulent history has left many of the traditional archival institutions in 

ruins, and most water-resource and meteorological data-collection activities had stopped by 1980. 

Recently (2011), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), foreign government agencies, and the Afghan 

government have begun water-resource investigations, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) minerals 

teams conducted field reconnaissance work in the AOI in September 2009; however, these activities and 

the amount of data collected are limited. This report summarizes the satellite imagery and climatic, 

topographic, geologic, surface-water, and groundwater data available. Geohydrologic inferences are 

made on the basis of an integrated analysis of these data and an understanding of conditions in other 

areas of Afghanistan.

25C.2 Climate and Vegetation

Climate information for the South Helmand travertine AOI is based on data generated for the 

Afghanistan agricultural-meteorological (Agromet) project. Agromet was initiated by the U.S. Agency 

for International Development and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 2003 to 

establish data-collection stations and develop country-wide agrometeorological services. Scientists with 

the Agromet project are assisting the Afghan Government to collect and analyze agricultural and 

meteorological data as they relate to crop production, irrigation, water supply, energy, and aviation. The 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assumed responsibility for the operation of the project in 2005; by the 

end of August 2010, 87 Agromet stations were recording precipitation data and other parameters. 

Additionally, the Agromet project receives data from 18 Afghanistan Meteorological Authority (AMA) 

weather stations. The Agromet project has developed a database that includes data collected at the 
1742 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

Agromet stations over the past 6 years (2005–2011), data collected at the AMA weather stations, and 

historical data collected at weather stations from 1942 to 1993. Data collected as part of the Agromet 

project are compiled annually by water year (September through August) and are reported in the 

Afghanistan Agrometeorological Seasonal Bulletin (Seasonal Bulletin) published by the Ministry of 

Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock. Unless otherwise specified, the Agromet data cited in this report 

are from the agricultural season that extends from 1 September, 2009, to 31 August, 2010. 

a 
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1743

b 

Figure 25C–1. (a) Landsat image showing the location of, and (b) place names, stream names, and streamgage 

station numbers in, the South Helmand travertine area of interest in southern Afghanistan. 
1744 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

Weather conditions in the AOI are harsh (Whitney, 2006). The annual average rainfall for the

11 Agromet stations that make up the Agromet South Region is 177.8 mm (millimeters) (Ministry of 

Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, 2010). The South Region includes the provinces of Helmand, 

Kandahar, Nimroz, Urozgan, and Zabol. Much of the area is desert. The average rainfall for the four

Agromet stations located in Helmand Province is 172 mm. The four stations in Helmand Province are all 

located in agricultural areas near the Helmand River, near the eastern border of the province; their 

elevations range from 770 to 980 m (meters) above sea level (asl). The amount of precipitation received 

in the eastern Helmand Basin averages about two to three times the amount received in the desert plain 

(Whitney, 2006). The Agromet station at Zaranj, Nimroz Province, is approximately 210 km northwest 

of the AOI at about 490 m asl. Rainfall recorded at this station during the 2009–2010 water year was 

41 mm with the following monthly totals: 29 mm in December 2009, 7 mm in January 2010, 3 mm in 

February 2010, and 2 mm in May 2010 (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, 2010). The 

prevailing wind direction is northwest to southeast in this part of Afghanistan and west to east over the 

AOI, so the amount of rainfall at Zaranj is probably a good indicator of the amount of rainfall in the AOI 

(Whitney, 2006). 

Temperatures in the AOI vary widely. The maximum temperature recorded at the Zaranj 

Agromet station during the 2009–2010 water year was 47.6°C (degrees Celsius) during July 2010; the 

average low temperature was 9.3°

C during December 2009 (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and 

Livestock, 2010, p. 24). Long-term average (LTA) temperature data are available for the Agromet 

station at Kandahar, located 240 km northeast of the center of the AOI. The LTA high temperature was 

31.8°C for July and the LTA low temperature was 4.8°C for January (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, 

and Livestock, 2010). Annual, LTA, and LTA minimum and maximum precipitation and temperature 

data for the Kandahar Agromet station are presented in table 25C–1. 

Table 25C–1.

[AOI, area of interest; km, kilometers; m, meters; mm, millimeters; 

Annual, long-term annual average, and long-term average minimum and maximum precipitation 

and temperature at the Kandahar Agrometeorological (Agromet) station located 260 km northeast of the South 

Helmand travertine area of interest, Afghanistan. °

C, degrees Celsius]

Precipitation Temperature

Long-term average1 Long-term average

Agromet

Station

1

Distance 

from AOI 

center 

(km)

Elevation 

(m)

2009–

2010 

Annual 

(mm)

Annual 

(mm)

Monthly 

minimum 

and month 

(mm)

Monthly 

maximum 

and month 

(mm)

Minimu

m and 

month 

(°

Monthl

y mean 

( C) °

Maximu

m and 

month 

( C) °

Kandaha

r 

C)

240 1,020 166 155.5 0 

September 

June

49.1 

January

4.8

January

15.9 31.8

July

1 Long-term averages are based on data from 1942 to 1993 and 2005 to 2010 as reported in the Afghanistan 

Agrometeorological Seasonal Bulletin (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, 2010).

Data on evaporation rates in 1964 are available for Kandahar (1.8 m/yr (meters per year) and 

Chakhansur (4.3 m/yr) (Whitney, 2006). Chakhansur is about 220 km northwest of the AOI. Although 

these pan evaporation sites are about 220 to 240 km from the AOI, evaporation rates at these sites are 

probably similar to those in the AOI. The station at Chakhansur is probably more representative of the 

AOI because the prevailing wind direction is similar. The high evaporation rates and low rainfall totals 

(especially during the summer to early winter) limit the amount of precipitation that is available to 

recharge the groundwater system in the AOI. Without some mechanism, such as focused flow in washes, 

to concentrate recharge at the surface, the occurrence of local groundwater recharge is unlikely. 
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1745

The “Potential Natural Vegetation” described in Breckle (2007) is the vegetation cover that 

would be present in the various regions of Afghanistan if it had not been modified by human activity. 

Today, as a result of continued exploitation such as grazing, farming, and deforestation, much of the 

original natural vegetation is found only in a few remote areas of Afghanistan. The destruction of the 

natural vegetation has resulted in the degradation and erosion of the soil cover in some areas. Many 

areas exhibit signs of long-lasting desertification caused by human activity. 

According to Breckle’s “Map of potential natural vegetation” (Breckle, 2007, fig. 2), there are 

three vegetation types in the AOI. The vegetation types indicated on this map represent the “Potential 

Natural Vegetation.” The Other Deserts type (rich in Chenopod) occupies the eolian sand areas of the 

Registan in the northern part of the AOI. The vegetation type adjacent to the Chagai Hills is dwarf 

Amygdalus-Semidesert. The Chagai Hills are mapped as Pistacia atlantica-Woodlands. Breckle (2007) 

states, “The deserts of the north, west and south in the Registan and Dashte Margo contain active sand 

dune areas and dunes fixed by a rather open vegetation. The flora here is scarcely modified by man.” 

The USGS made a field visit to the AOI in September 2009. This visit took place during a month 

when rainfall typically is low and temperatures typically are high. During this visit, some general 

observations about the vegetation in the AOI were made. Widely spaced desert shrubs, bushes, and 

grasses were present in the AOI. No irrigated fields were mapped in the drainage channels in the AOI 

(fig. 25C–2) (Afghanistan Information Management Service, 1997), and the shrubs and bushes were 

low, generally about 30 cm in height. The plants that were growing in drainage channels showed some 

green foliage, indicating that the soil moisture in the root zone was sufficient to support growth. Plants 

not near drainages exhibited little, if any, green foliage. The vegetation in the Registan Desert between

subareas consisted of sparse desert shrubs and bushes (fig. 25C–3). Vegetation was less abundant in an 

area in the northeastern part of the AOI than in other areas visited (fig. 25C–4). More plants were 

growing in the bottom of the ephemeral drainage channels than on the upland surfaces. 

25C.3 Demographics

The population of the South Helmand travertine AOI is small and dispersed as mapped by 

LandScan (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2010) (fig. 25C–5). The linear nature of some of the pixels 

in the Registan Desert in which population density is estimated to be 1 to 5 inhabitants per square 

kilometer (fig. 25C–5) might be the result of vehicle traffic and not be indicative of permanent 

settlements. Another possibility is that these areas are temporary camps being used by nomadic Afghan 

families or groups. No settlements were observed in the Registan Desert along the flight lines traveled to 

and from the AOI for the field visit. The population per square kilometer in and adjacent to the Chagai 

Hills in figure 25C–5 is probably representative of the actual population density, especially in the areas 

in Pakistan where farming areas and a few large towns are concentrated south of the AOI. The largest 

settlement in Afghanistan near the AOI is in the Chagai Hills south of and just outside the AOI on the 

Afghanistan-Pakistan border (Bohannon, 2005b). Some small, irrigated farming areas and settlements 

are present within and adjacent to the Chagai Hills in the southern part of the AOI. The presence of these 

settlements and small irrigated areas indicates that some perennial groundwater resources are available 

in and around the Chagai Hills for domestic consumption. Any irrigation in this area probably relies on 

ephemeral streamflows and spring discharge. Aerial images (Google Earth) show that karezes 

(traditional hand-dug water-supply tunnels) and earthen dams have been constructed to provide water 

for irrigation. No roads are shown in the AOI on the Helmand Province district maps(Afghanistan 

Information Management Service, 2004). A few tracks are present east of the AOI from the Helmand 

River valley to Pakistan.
1746 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

Figure 25C–2. Historical streamgage locations, digitally generated drainage network, and irrigated areas in the 

South Helmand travertine area of interest in southern Afghanistan.
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1747

Figure 25C–3. Photograph of vegetation in the Registan Desert between landing areas in the South Helmand 

travertine area of interest in southern Afghanistan.

Figure 25C–4. Photograph of vegetation at a travertine quarry in the South Helmand travertine area of interest in 

southern Afghanistan.
1748 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

Figure 25C–5. Population density for the South Helmand travertine area of interest and surrounding areas in 

southern Afghanistan.
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1749

25C.4 Topography and Geomorphology

 The topography of the South Helmand travertine AOI transitions from the highlands of the 

Chagai Hills in the south to the windswept desert plains of the Registan in the north (fig. 25C–6). The 

Chagai Hills form the southern boundary of the Registan in Helmand Province (Whitney, 2006); they 

reach an elevation of slightly more than 1,500 m asl along the border with Pakistan and are dissected by 

incised ephemeral streams (Bohannon, 2005a,b; Davis, 2006). The range-front transition from bedrock 

outcrop to sediments is abrupt and occurs at an elevation that ranges from about 1,470 m asl in the 

western area of the hills to 1,200 m asl in the eastern area. The surface of the Registan Desert slopes 

gently to the north toward the Helmand River, decreasing in elevation from about 1,400 to 650 m asl 

over a distance of 100 km. Several ephemeral streams that originate in the Chagai Hills terminate in a 

large east-west-trending ephemeral stream that is adjacent to the bedrock contact of the Chagai Hills 

(fig. 25C–2). Active dune fields currently occupy most of this region. The drainage patterns of the 

ephemeral streams in the Chagai Hills appear to be dendritic and are superimposed on an older, 

rectangular drainage pattern. The rock outcrops that make up the Chagai Hills are broken by a prominent 

set of northeast-southwest- and northwest-southeast-trending fractures that control the drainage pattern 

of the smaller ephemeral streams.

25C.5 Geohydrology

The geohydrology of Afghanistan has been described in general terms by Abdullah and 

Chmyriov (1977, book 2). As defined in their “Geology and mineral resources of Afghanistan,” the 

South Helmand travertine AOI is in the South Afghanistan Artesian Region. Abdullah and Chmyriov 

(1977) further describe the basin areas as having between 1,000 and 3,000 m of sediments. On the basis 

of an interpretation of recent and historical aeromagnetic data, Drenth (2009) estimated the 

unconsolidated sediments in the Registan to be thousands of meters thick over basement rocks. 

The outcrops and near-surface rocks in the AOI can be grouped according to their physical and 

hydraulic properties. The generalized geohydrology of the AOI is shown in figure 25C–6 with the 

underlying topography to allow examination of the geohydrology in the context of relief. Figure 25C–7 

shows the generalized geohydrology without topography for a clearer depiction of the geohydrologic 

units and mapped faults. Wells present in the map area (discussed in the Groundwater section) are 

shown in figure 25C–7. Generalized geohydrologic groups were created from a country-wide geologic 

coverage (Doebrich and Wahl, 2006) by combining sediments and rocks into major sediment- or rocktype groups of similar hydrologic characteristics. The geohydrologic groups in the AOI, ranked from 

high to low relative hydraulic conductivity (Freeze and Cherry, 1979, table 2.3), are “river channel; 

sands, undifferentiated; conglomerate sediments and rocks; and intrusive rocks and lavas” (figs. 25C–6, 

25C–7). Doebrich and Wahl (2006) used geologic maps at a scale of 1:250,000, modified from Russian 

and Afghan Geological Survey (AGS) mapping, to generate the country-wide geologic coverage. The 

1:250,000-scale geologic maps that cover this AOI are provided by O’Leary and Whitney (2005) and 

O’Leary and others (2005). 

The surface of the Registan is mapped as the sands, undifferentiated, and conglomerate 

sediments and rocks geohydrologic groups; and the river channel geohydrologic group in some 

ephemeral stream beds. The bedrock outcrops of the Chagai Hills and the isolated bedrock outcrops 

north of the Chagai Hills are made up of the intrusive rocks and lavas geohydrologic group (figs. 25C–6, 

25C–7).
1750 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

Figure 25C–6. Generalized geohydrology and topography in the South Helmand travertine area of interest in 

southern Afghanistan.
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1751

Figure 25C–7. Generalized geohydrology and wells in the South Helmand travertine area of interest in southern 

Afghanistan.
1752 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

25C.6 Surface Water

The Helmand River, about 75 km north of the South Helmand travertine AOI, is the closest 

source of abundant and perennial surface water to the AOI in Afghanistan (fig. 25C-2). Six named 

streams shown in figure 25C–2 (see also 25C-1b) are mapped as “streams, generally ephemeral” as 

modified from AIMS (Afghanistan Information Management Services, 1997) and VMAP1 (National 

Imagery and Mapping Agency, 1995) databases. A network representing likely smaller ephemeral 

streams, generated with a digital elevation model (DEM), also is shown in figure 25C–2. Mapped 

springs, identified in the VMAP1 database (National Imagery and Mapping Agency, 1995), also are 

shown in and adjacent to the AOI. The six generally ephemeral streams begin in or near the Chagai 

Hills and flow north into the Registan (figs. 25C-1a,b and 25C-2). These streams terminate in the 

unconsolidated sediments of the Registan. The Loy Dor Mandeh stream is about 80 km long and can be 

traced about 40 km north of the AOI before it fans out into several braided channels (fig. 25C-2). The 

next longest stream in the AOI is the Rabat Mandeh, which is about 60 km long. Statistical summaries 

of streamflow data for all available historical gages in Afghanistan can be accessed at 

http://afghanistan.cr.usgs.gov/water.php. 

Aerial images (Google Earth) of the AOI show several springs that may be discharging saline or 

calcitic water, as indicated by white deposits on the stream banks around the discharge areas, into some 

ephemeral stream channels. One of these spring discharge areas is located near the head of the Mamo 

Mandeh stream and is identified in the VMAP1 database (fig. 25C–2). Another spring discharge area is 

on the Loy Dor Mandeh stream about 7 km downstream from the location where it emerges from the 

Chagai Hills. The discharge from this spring area appears to support the flow of water in the Loy Dor 

Mandeh stream in the spring discharge area. 

Earthen dams have been constructed in many of the ephemeral streams in the Chagai Hills. The 

size and number of these earthen dams indicate that seasonal runoff or runoff from large precipitation 

events is sufficient to capture and store surface water. Aerial images of this area show several karezes 

(hand-dug water-supply tunnels commonly used in Afghanistan that are constructed in unconsolidated 

and semi-consolidated sediments) are immediately downgradient from some of the earthen dams. Their 

presence could indicate that a component of shallow groundwater recharge is associated with the earthen 

dams. The presence of settlements indicates that the intrusive rocks may have fractured the surrounding 

rocks (O’Leary and others, 2005), resulting in enhanced erosion and the formation of valleys in the 

Chagai Hills. One such valley in the Chagai Hills contains an ephemeral stream that is a tributary to the 

Loy Dor Mandeh stream (fig. 25C–1a,b). 

25C.7 Groundwater

Although few data are available to quantify this resource, groundwater is likely present in the 

South Helmand travertine AOI in thick, unconsolidated to semi-consolidated basin-fill sediments

consisting of the sands, undifferentiated and the conglomerate sediments and rocks geohydrologic 

groups. The basin-fill material could be thousands of meters thick (Drenth, 2009). The depth to water in 

ephemeral stream channels may be near land surface near the Chagai Hills. Away from ephemeral 

stream channels and the Chagai Hills, the depth to water may be tens to hundreds of meters. Water wells 

in and adjacent to the AOI (fig. 25C–7) are identified in the VMAP1 database, but no information on 

well depth, depth to water, or lithostratigraphy is available (National Imagery and Mapping Agency, 

1995). The “Watershed atlas of Afghanistan, Part IV, Description of watersheds” (Favre and Kamal, 

2004) provides the following description: “Chagai watershed is a small watershed draining water on the 

southern slope of the Khanishin Gar volcano located near the town Khan Neshin and the northern slopes 

of the Chagai Mountains on the other side of the border in Pakistan. The water flows from a multitude of 

seasonal streams back into the Helmand River on each side of the Khanishin Gar volcano.” The 

reference to seasonal streams on Khanneshin volcano, about 75 km to the north, supports the concept 
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1753

that the discharge of water from ephemeral streams in the Chagai Hills onto the Registan could result in 

zones of saturation in the discharge areas. 

The wells in the VMAP1 database (National Imagery and Mapping Agency, 1995) identified in 

figure 25C–7 are likely shallow dug wells that were constructed before the 1998–2005 drought 

(Whitney, 2006). Some of the wells are likely to have become dry during this drought–especially those 

wells that are far from potential recharge areas, such as along ephemeral stream channels or in the 

Chagai Hills. Well-location and water-characteristic (alkaline or fresh/potable) information, but no 

water-chemistry information, is associated with the VMAP1 coverage. Well locations are correlated 

with population density (figs. 25C–5 and 25C–7) below the southeast corner of the AOI in Pakistan. 

Several springs or water holes also are also present in this area of Pakistan (fig. 25C–2). In the AOI, the 

wells are located primarily in the unconsolidated sediment geohydrologic groups, but a few are located 

in material mapped as bedrock outcrop. The wells in areas mapped as the intrusive rocks and lavas 

geohydrologic group are most likely in unconsolidated sediments in ephemeral stream valleys where the 

extent, and possibly the thickness, of these deposits are too small to show on the geologic maps. In areas 

where the shallow aquifers currently supply water, it is unlikely that additional groundwater could be 

withdrawn without disrupting the availability of water for local uses such as domestic consumption and 

irrigation. 

Considerable development is present on the southeast flanks of the Chagai Hills in Pakistan 

(fig. 25C–5). The bedrock-alluvium contact at the base of the Chagai Hills is lower here than on the 

Afghanistan side. The concentration of wells along this contact (fig. 25C–7) and the presence of mapped 

springs or water holes (fig. 25C–2) indicate that water is being accessed through wells or is being 

discharged at the land surface. The number of wells and the concentrated population indicate that the 

groundwater resource is sufficient to support permanent settlements. These water sources, as indicated 

by the population density, form a linear pattern that is roughly parallel to the bedrock-alluvium contact 

(figs. 25C–1a, 25C–5, 25C–7, and 25C–8). There are two possible sources of groundwater in this area. 

There is a large area of alluvial sediments located east of the Chagai Hills that drain to the west into an 

ephemeral lake at the base of the Chagai Hills. During periods of high precipitation, this lake probably 

contains water that could produce groundwater recharge. Lateral flow of water in the subsurface could 

recharge wells located to the west on the alluvial fans adjacent to the Chagai Hills. The highest shoreline 

of the ephemeral lake is about 840 m asl. The elevation of the wells and springs or watering holes on the 

Pakistan side of the Chagai Hills is between 844 and 850 m asl; therefore, the depth to groundwater 

recharged from the lake is likely to be within range of shallow wells. A second possible source of 

groundwater in the wells and springs is an aquifer that is developed in and adjacent to the Chagai Hills 

in Pakistan. If the aquifer is present on the Afghanistan side of the Chagai Hills, wells could be drilled in 

the AOI to access the groundwater in this aquifer. The difference in elevation between the irrigated areas 

in Pakistan and the surface of the Registan is about 400 m; therefore, wells drilled in the AOI would 

likely need to be about 400 m deep. On the basis of an interpretation of recent and historical 

aeromagnetic data, Drenth (2009) estimated the unconsolidated sediments to be thousands of meters 

thick over basement rocks in some basin settings in the AOI. Some supply wells about 100 km to the 

north in the Helmand River basin have been installed in sediments that are more than 450 m deep; 

however, yields from these wells may be limited and the water is likely to be thousands of years old. 

Groundwater studies would be needed to determine the hydraulic properties of the deep aquifers in the 

AOI and to characterize the chemical composition of the water they contain.

25C.8 Lineament Analyses

Lineaments are photolinear features that could be the result of underlying zones of high-angle 

bedrock fractures, fracture zones, faults, or bedding-plane weaknesses. Lineament analyses of the 

Southern Helmand travertine AOI (B.E. Hubbard, T.J. Mack, and A.L. Thompson, unpub. data, 2011) 

were conducted using DEM and natural-color satellite imagery (fig. 25C–8) and Advanced Spaceborne 

Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometry (ASTER) satellite imagery (fig. 25C–9a,b). Lineament 
1754 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

identification and analysis have long been used as a reconnaissance tool for identifying areas in 

carbonate bedrock environments where groundwater resources are likely to be found (Lattman and 

Parizek, 1964; Siddiqui and Parizek, 1971). Lineament analysis is increasingly used to identify areas of 

high relative well yields in other bedrock settings, including crystalline bedrock (Mabee, 1999; Moore 

and others, 2002). The lineaments shown in figure 25C–8 were delineated visually, whereas those in

figure 25C–9 were delineated using an automated process and on the basis of the multispectral 

characteristics of the land surface (B.E. Hubbard, T.J. Mack, and A.L. Thompson, unpub. data, 2011). 

Water wells in bedrock aquifers generally are most productive where boreholes are located in areas of 

highly fractured bedrock. Areas where lineament density is high (figs. 25C–8, 25C–9a, 25C–9b) 

potentially are areas where bedrock fractures are more prevalent than in other areas of the AOI.

Lineaments provide an indication of areas that warrant further investigation for optimal bedrock 

water-well placement. Lineaments may also indicate areas of preferential flow and storage of 

groundwater, and areas with a high density of lineaments may indicate high secondary porosity. Areas 

of possible fracture-controlled stream drainages are discussed in the Surface Water section (above). Any 

lineament analyses, including those presented in this investigation, need to be corroborated by field 

investigations and additional data to confirm the nature of the lineaments and their relation to 

water-filled bedrock fracture zones.
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1755

Figure 25C–8. Lineaments and lineament density based on 30-meter digital-elevation-model data and 

natural-color Landsat imagery in the South Helmand travertine area of interest in southern Afghanistan. 
1756 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

a 
Chapter 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1757

b 

Figure 25C–9. (a) Lineaments and lineament density based on 30-meter multispectral Landsat imagery and 

(b) lineaments and lineament density based on 15-meter multispectral Landsat imagery in the South Helmand 

travertine area of interest in southern Afghanistan. 
1758 Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

25C.9 Summary and Conclusions

Surface-water and groundwater resources are likely to be less available in the South Helmand 

travertine area of interest (AOI) than in other areas of Afghanistan as a result of low precipitation and 

the absence of perennial streams. The closest permanent source of surface water is the Helmand River, 

about 75 km to the north. The presence of earthen dams and karezes in the larger ephemeral streams 

indicates that the limited surface water in the AOI is probably being used for irrigation. Groundwater in 

the AOI is an unproven resource but likely is present in limited quantities in shallow aquifers and may 

also be available in deeper aquifers where basin sediments are thick. Generalized geohydrologic maps 

and results of lineament analyses indicate that some areas of the AOI are likely areas for further 

exploration for groundwater resources.

Seasonal recharge to the shallow aquifers probably occurs following runoff events in the Chagai 

Hills. It is unlikely that the shallow aquifers could supply additional water to support mining activities 

because recharge is low. The quantity and quality of water in deep aquifers in the AOI are unknown at 

this time. Limited recharge to deeper aquifers probably occurs locally, but such water is likely to be 

thousands of years old. The production of water from deeper aquifers may be possible but, as in all 

desert environments, close monitoring and careful management would be needed to prevent aquifer 

depletion. Field investigations including geologic mapping, geophysical surveys, and hydraulic well 

testing are needed to adequately characterize the extent and availability of groundwater resources in the 

AOI.

25C.10 References Cited

Abdullah, Sh., and Chmyriov, V.M., eds. in chief, 1977, Geology and mineral resources of Afghanistan, 

book 2: Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Industries, Afghanistan Geological Survey, reprinted 

2008, British Geological Survey Occasional Publications No. 15, 292 p.

Afghanistan Information Management Service, 1997, Irrigated areas, 1:250,000 scale: Afghanistan 

Information Management Service Afghanistan Shape Files, accessed October 15, 2010, at 

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