The hydrochemical assessment of groundwater resources in the Kadkan basin, Northeast of Iran

• Autores: Iraj Rasa, Mostafa Esmaeili-Vardanjani, Mohammad Yazdi, Kaveh Pazand
• Localización: Carbonates and Evaporites, ISSN 0891-2556, Vol. 31, Nº. 2, 2016, págs. 129-138
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Hydrochemical investigations were carried out in the Kadkan area, northeastern Iran, to assess the chemical composition of groundwater. A total of 131 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for major cations and anions. The domination of cations and anions was in the order of Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations and Cl− > SO42− > HCO3− > CO32− in anions. The groundwater is under-saturated with respect to anhydrate, aragonite, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, and CO2. In this investigation, multivariate statistical techniques were used to identify and understand hydrochemical association and processes leading to the variability of groundwater quality. Factor analysis was applied to all groundwater samples and 11 variables. This analysis revealed that three main factors affecting the groundwater chemistry can be distinguished in this plain. Factor 1 includes the major ions in aqueous solution and accounts for 51.68 % of the total variance. Factor 2 accounts for 15.39 % of total variance and includes the parameters pH, Ca, and CO3 in the plain, suggesting that the geology of some parts of the area is primarily limestone. Factor 3 includes the parameters Mg and HCO3 and accounts for 11.63 % of the total variance. These parameters have a geological source. The hydrochemical processes of groundwater in the Kadkan aquifer are mainly influenced by the major ions, degree of dissolution of NaCl-bearing minerals, and geology.