Entropy weight method coupled with an improved DRASTIC model to evaluate the special vulnerability of groundwater in Songnen Plain, Northeastern China

Abstract

Abstract The Songnen Plain in Northeast China is the only remaining black soil agricultural area in the world and is an important food base for China. The groundwater resources in this area are abundant, but human activities have caused them polluted. This paper established a groundwater vulnerability assessment to characterize the influence of human activities which used an entropy weight method. The index was tested using the nitrate pollution distribution in the groundwater to verify the effectiveness of this method. The results showed that areas with high specific vulnerability were distributed in the northern and eastern parts of the Songnen Plain and were consistent with areas that showed serious nitrate pollution of the groundwater. The correlation coefficient between these areas was 0.2536, which greatly improved the vulnerability assessment without superimposing human activities in the model. The results clearly showed that human activities increased groundwater vulnerability on the Songnen Plain. The evaluation method provided a reference for similar evaluations and a basis for the protection and management of groundwater resources in this region.