Groundwater Quality Evaluation Using GIS Based Geostatistical Algorithms

摘要

Groundwaterquality is a major environmental aspect which needs to be analyzed and manageddepending on its spatial distribution. Utilization of insufficient managementof groundwater resources in Gaza Strip, Palestine, produces not only areduction in quantity but also deterioration in quality of groundwater. The aimof this study is to provide an overview for evaluation of groundwater qualityin the Gaza Strip area as a case study for applying spatially distributed byusing Geographic Information System (GIS) and geostatistical algorithms. Thegroundwater quality parameters, pH, total dissolved solids, total hardness, alkalinity,chloride, nitrate, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, and fluoride, were sampled andanalyzed from the existing municipal and agricultural wells in Gaza Strip; mapsof each parameter were created using geostatistical (Kriging) approach.Experimental semivariogram values were tested for different ordinary Krigingmodels to identify the best fitted for the ten water quality parameters and thebest models were selected on the basis of mean square error (MSE), root meansquare error (RMSE), average standard error (ASE), and root mean squarestandardized error (RMSSE). Maps of 10 groundwater quality parameters were usedto calculate the groundwater quality index (GWQI) map using the index method.In general, the results showed that this integrated method is a sufficientassessment tool for environmental spatially distributed parameters.