Hydrochemical study of sources salinity in shallow water springs of northern Algerian Sahara

Abstract

This study is conducted in The Guerrara Oasis; suffer from high salinity of alluvial aquifer used in drinking and irrigation, the distribution of the drilled wells in the study area is anarchic and water salinity is a subsisting problem all along the year,
To evaluate the problem gravity two hydrochemical campaigns are acquired during wet and dry seasons , the results confirms the presence of saliferous bodies affecting water quality, The order of abundance of the ions in the ground water samples is Cl->Na⁺>SO₄>Mg²⁺>Ca²⁺>HCO₃^->K⁺ the piper diagram reveals that’s the ground water is Cl^-- SO₄^- and mixed Cl^- - Na⁺ indicating a evaporitic hydro-chemical type, Multiariate statistics and special geochimestry diagrams are used to evaluate the chemical process responsible in groundwater salinization.