Exploring the relationship between land use and surface water quality using multivariate statistics in arid and semi-arid regions

Abstract

The relative impacts of different types of land use on the surface water quality are yet to be ascertained and quantified. In this paper, the influence of different types of land use on surface water quality is investigated. Rain events samples from different land use in the central plateau, Iran, were analyzed for major ions. Statistical analyses were employed to examine the statistical relationships of land use and water quality on a regional scale in Iran central plateau. Principal component analysis was used to investigate the processes controlling the effects of land use on the water quality in this area. The higher correlations of range than other land uses with major ion, specifically pH and HCO3, were showed and it's maybe reflecting the effects of the season the samples were taken. Keywords: Surface water quality; Principal components analysis; Land use; Iran