TITLE:
Geochemistry and Origin of the Hyper Salinity of Groundwater in Wasia-Biyadh Aquifer, Saudi Arabia
AUTHORS:
Muhammad Gomaah, Abdulaziz Al-Bassam
KEYWORDS:
Geochemistry, Hyper Salinity, Groundwater, Wasia-Biyadh Aquifer
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.9 No.11,
November
9,
2021
ABSTRACT: The origin of the hyper saline groundwater in aquifers all over the world
is still unclear till today. The current paper is an attempt to interpret a
possible origin of the hyper salinity in the groundwater of the Wasia-Biyadh
Aquifer system in Saudi Arabia. The result indicated that the major factors
contributing salinity to groundwater are silicate weathering and evaporite
dissolution/and or evaporation, as indicated by the Na+-normalized
Ca2+ VS HCO3-plot. However, some
groundwater samples showed hyper salinity that had been attributed to the presence of a naturally-occurring-hydrothermal
system, due to the high concentration of the radionuclides within the aquifer.
The high-salinity samples (Na-Cl
type) plot under the evaporation line on the Na+/Cl- vs.
Cl- relationship, suggesting deep heating that resulted in hyper
salinity. The geochemical reactions in the eastern part of the aquifer included
the precipitation of pyrite, dolomite, clay, and the incongruent dissolution of
plagioclase.