Applications of Hydrogeochemical Modeling to Assessment Geochemical Evolution of the Pliocene Aquifer System in Wadi El Natrun Area, Western Desert, Egypt

Mohamed Kamel Fattah

doi:10.11648/j.hyd.20170501.12

Abstract

Pliocene aquifer is the main source of water in the study area (Wadi El Natroun area), Western desert, Egypt. Area of the study was divided into three sectors (South, Centre and North). There is a deterioration of quality and increase salinity in water, salinity ranges between 300and 6822 mg\l. The target of this study explaining and clarify the evolution mechanism of water in the Pliocene aquifer through three former sectors to understand the mechanism of the hydrochemical processes by applying hydrogeochemical – environmental program (Netpath Program) which performed for three groundwater paths (A-A\), (B-B\) and (C-C\) sector and it used to explain net geochemical mass-balance reactions which occurs between initial and final water point. The study showed that the process of dissolution of chlorides and sulphate salts ( halite, gypsum and anhydrite) are the most common effected process, in contrast, deposition of carbonate salts and bicarbonate in the three sectors in area of the study, there is a significant effect of continuous cationic exchange between water and surrounding rocks leading to deterioration of water types and increasing salinity in the direction of water flow from East to West, also water quality change from bicarbonate water type in the east (initial points) to sulphate and chlorides water type in the west direction (final points) and these process represent late stage of mineralization.

Highlights

Wadi El Natrun occupies a portion of the Western Nile Delta region (Fig. 1)
NETPATH model was used to explain net geochemical mass-balance reactions between initial and final water point which occurred within dissolution and precipitation, hypothetical salts, saturated index and to explain water-rock interaction of the local groundwater in the study area the Pliocene aquifer
From the N(Ca2+) /N(Na+) variation diagrams (Fig. 3) we can notes that N(Ca2+) /N(Na+) shows an upward trend through path 1 (AA\) where, N(Ca2+) /N(Na+ ) increases, there may be exchange between Na+ in the water and Ca2+ in the clay but a downward trend along path[2] (BB\) and path 3 (CC\)

Summary

Introduction

Wadi El Natrun occupies a portion of the Western Nile Delta region (Fig. 1). It lies between longitude 30o 04 ́ and 30o 30 ́ E and latitudes, 30o 16 ́ and 30o 30 ́ N. The objective of this paper is to expound and examine the evolution mechanisms of a hydrogeochemical approach in the Pliocene aquifer. NETPATH model was used to explain net geochemical mass-balance reactions between initial and final water point which occurred within dissolution and precipitation, hypothetical salts, saturated index and to explain water-rock interaction of the local groundwater in the study area the Pliocene aquifer. Geochemical modeling was performed for three groundwater paths (South, Centre and North path 1 (A-A\), path 2(B-B\) and path 3 (C-C\)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion