Integrated Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variations of Groundwater Quality in the Eastern Area of Urmia Salt Lake Basin Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Abstract

Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were applied to interpret the results and identify the geochemical process involved in groundwater characteristics in a salt lake basin. All of the water samples were mostly characterized as very hard and brackish water and were Ca-Mg-Na and HCO3-SO4-Cl type. Two principal components were extracted which explained about 82% of total sample variance. The factor loadings showed that natural processes and contamination from the land simultaneously contribute to chemical faces of the groundwater. Factor score analysis demonstrated three distinct zones that could be linked to different aquifer characteristics throughout the studied area or be recharged from surface water to anthropogenic sources. Three different clusters were obtained which indicated identifiable water quality changes in different zones of the study area. In conclusion, multivariate statistical techniques can effectively provide confidence in delineating and discriminating of natural and non-natural factors governing groundwater chemistry at a shallow alluvial aquifer.