Preferable Districts for Groundwater Exploitation Based on Hydrogeologic Data of Aquifers-West Iraq

Abstract

The study examines the hydrogeological conditions and the hydraulic characteristics of the water bearing horizons within the hydrogeologic regime of the study area located west of Iraq to the west of longitude 40°40'. Also the study shed light on the flow behavior regime and its impacts on the groundwater movement, ground water flow velocities (permeability and hydraulic gradients) considering the regional structural phenomena. The Hydrogeological data presented as spatial distribution maps and three dimensional models. The results which were achieved from the field measurements are correlated with the main hydrogeologic control points such as storage and transmissivity coefficients, groundwater depths, aquifers thickness, lateral extensions and groundwater recharge to classify the hydrogeologic districts for development and exploitation. The hydrogeologic regime of the study area is classified and screened into various aquifers, including Ga’ra, Mullusi, Mullusi-Ubaid, Hartha, Tayarat-Digma (Jeed), Muhaywir-Ubaid and Rattga aquifers. The statistical results of the hydraulic and hydrochemical parameters were examined for explaining the spatial distribution of each parameter within the uppermost aquifers and determining the preference hydrogeologic districts for future groundwater exploitation as hereinafter order, Ubaid Mullusi aquifer within district-6, Rattga and Digma-Tayarat aquifer within district-7, Mullusi aquifer within district-2, Hartha aquifer within district-3, Digma-Tayarat aquifer within district-4, Ga’ra aquifer within district-1, Muhaywir-Ubaid aquifer within district-5 and Digma-Tayarat within district-8, respectively.