Groundwater vulnerability map of Sulaymaniyah sub-basin using SINTACS model, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , Pages 277-291

Authors

¹ Faculty of Science and Science Education, University of Sulaimani, Bakrajo Street, Sulaimaniyah- Iraq.

² Groundwater Directorat of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.

The present work locates in the Complex and Unstable Platform of Arabian Plate

within the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt (ZFTB). It expands over an area of 523 Km2

in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. Lower Cretaceous and Holocene formations are the

dominant stratigraphic units exposed in the area. The alluvium intergranular, karstic

fissured, and complex aquifers are the principal water-bearing beds occur in the field of

the question. The present study deals with the evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to

pollution using SINTACS model in addition to the assessment of the validity of four

scenarios applied in this work “Normal, Relevant, Drainage impacts and Nitrate

scenarios” with the spatial distribution of nitrate “NO3” map. Nitrate spatial map was

constructed from 96 water samples collected from domestic and agriculture water wells,

emergence from karezes and springs in benefit with the Geographic Information System

(GIS). Although the SINTACS method gives good outputs in the evaluation of

groundwater vulnerability to pollution, it cannot be used for reliable assessment of the

groundwater pollution risk. Therefore, it is necessary to calibrate the original scenarios

with nitrate distribution to obtain more accurate results.

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