Journal of Geological Society of India (Online archive from Vol 1 to Vol 78)

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Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Groundwater in Coastal Phreatic Aquifers of Alleppey District, Kerala


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Trivandrum - 695 581, India
2 Central Ground Water Board, Kerala Region, Trivandrum - 695 004, India
     

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Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in phreatic aquifers of Alleppey district were studied. Factor analysis has been applied to the chemical analysis data of 32 water samples collected from dug wells to extract the principal factors corresponding to the sources of variation in the hydrochemistry. 12 hydrochemical parameters were correlated and statistically examined. Varimax rotation was used to define the factor scores and percentage of variance in the hydrogeochemistry. A four-factor model is extracted and explains over 80.394% of the total groundwater quality variation. Factor-1 has high loading values of Electrical Conductivity (EC), Ca++, and Cl-, and reflects the signature of saline water. Similarly strong correlation exists between F3 score and pH. The correlation coefficient matrix between EC and Na+, Cl-, SO--4 is significant. The mineralogy of coastal aquifers and the marine aerosol are playing significant role in the hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in the phreatic aquifer system.

Keywords

Factor Analysis, Groundwater, Coastal Aquifer, Marine Aerosol, Kerala.
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  • Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Groundwater in Coastal Phreatic Aquifers of Alleppey District, Kerala

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Authors

E. Shaji
Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Trivandrum - 695 581, India
N. Vinayachandran
Central Ground Water Board, Kerala Region, Trivandrum - 695 004, India
D. S. Thambi
Central Ground Water Board, Kerala Region, Trivandrum - 695 004, India

Abstract


Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in phreatic aquifers of Alleppey district were studied. Factor analysis has been applied to the chemical analysis data of 32 water samples collected from dug wells to extract the principal factors corresponding to the sources of variation in the hydrochemistry. 12 hydrochemical parameters were correlated and statistically examined. Varimax rotation was used to define the factor scores and percentage of variance in the hydrogeochemistry. A four-factor model is extracted and explains over 80.394% of the total groundwater quality variation. Factor-1 has high loading values of Electrical Conductivity (EC), Ca++, and Cl-, and reflects the signature of saline water. Similarly strong correlation exists between F3 score and pH. The correlation coefficient matrix between EC and Na+, Cl-, SO--4 is significant. The mineralogy of coastal aquifers and the marine aerosol are playing significant role in the hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in the phreatic aquifer system.

Keywords


Factor Analysis, Groundwater, Coastal Aquifer, Marine Aerosol, Kerala.

References