Assessing the groundwater vulnerability in the upper aquifers of Zarqa River Basin, Jordan using DRASTIC, SINTACS and GOD methods

摘要

Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutants to penetrate the aquifer and harming it. This method helps decision makers by highlighting expected areas to be polluted. In Jordan, groundwater is the main water resource the country uses to match its demand. The groundwater basins in Jordan are divided into 12 major basins; some are rechargeable and others are fossil. Many basins are over exploited; Amman Zarqa basin is a clear example for this case. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced for study area using SINTACS, GOD and DRASTIC indices to study the vulnerability of the aquifers throughout the targeted area. The different resulted maps show different vulnerability classes ranging from low to high reflecting the environmental, hydrological and hydrogeological settings of the groundwater and its recharge ability. The resulted map shows wide variation in groundwater vulnerability in different sites within the targeted area. Within the basin, areas with higher vulnerability are those with friable aquifer materials and shallow groundwater depths. Medium and low vulnerability classes exist too because of the variations of the environmental settings within the targeted areas.