Identification the Hydrogeochemical Facies of Groundwater in Rutba-Dhabaa, Western Iraq Using Multivariate Statistics Methods

Abstract

Abstract The groundwater in the Rutba-Dhabaa region in Western Iraq has been studied using multiple statistical methods. These methods proved successful in giving a hydrochemical description of water as an alternative to the Piper scheme, and therefore they can be relied upon in future studies, whether for groundwater or surface water. The groundwater in the Rutba-Dhabaa region is hard and the percentage of calcium is high, due to the type of rocks incubating that groundwater, represented by the carbonate rocks that make up the Mulussa aquifer in the study area. According to the Piper diagram, correlation matrix analysis, cluster analysis, and principle component analysis, the hydrogeochemical facies are: Class 1 (Ca2+ - Mg2+ - Cl− - SO4 2-) where the wells (W1, W4, W13, W15, W16, W17, W20) fall within the category I (SO4 2- - Cl− and Ca2+ - Mg2+) and rest of the samples falls within the category V (Mixing zone); Class 1 (Ca2+ - Mg2+ - Na+ - SO4 2-- Cl− - HCO3 −), Class 2 (Na+ - Ca2+ - SO4 2-), and Class 3 (Na+ - HCO3 −); Class 1 (Mg2+, Na+, and K+), Class 2 (HCO3 −and SO4 2-), and Class 3 (Cl− and Ca2+); and Class 1 (Mg2+, HCO3 −, and Cl−), and Class 2 (Na+, K+, and SO4 2-) respectively.