Hydro & Engineering Geological Implications of Extracting the Salty Deep Groundwater on the Mobilization of Fresh Water Resources in the Lower Zarqa River Area, Jordan

Arwa Tarawneh; Prof. Elias Salameh

Abstract

Extractions of deep salty groundwater from the Triassic and Jurassic rocks in the lower reaches of Zarqa River have lead to mobilizing overlying fresh ground- and surface water bodies to replace the extracted salty water leading herewith to the dissolution of evaporates from the rock matrix. This has, in turn, lead to the formation of small (Decimeter) underground cavities which widened with time to form huge underground cavities many 10s of meters), which ceilings collapsed and created sink holes at ground surface. This article discusses the geology, hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the area of lower Zarqa River and quantifies the effects of the pumping of salty groundwater on the mobilization of fresh water, which is leading to the formation of underground cavities and sink holes at ground surface. The study shows that understanding the groundwater recharge, flow and discharge regime and the effects of disturbing that regime must be clarified before deciding to implement projects which may lead to damage to the groundwater system and become fiasco projects. The study concluded that pumping water from the deep salty Triassic and Jurassic rocks is equivalent to extracting water from Zarqa River itself, because the extracted water is being substituted by the Zarqa River water.

Keywords

Deep mineralized water, extraction, hydro- and engineering geological implications, Zarqa River/Jordan

Reference

[1] Bandel, K. and Salameh, E. 2013 . Geologic Development of Jordan -The evolution of its rocks and life - University of Jordan Press.

[2] Quennell, A. M., 1959b. Geology of Jordan, Manchester

[3] Bender, F. 1968. Geologie Von Jordanian. Beitrage zur Regionalen Geologie der Erde. Volume 7. Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin

[4] Freyer, D. and Voigt, W. (2003): Crystallization and phase stability of CaSO4 and CaSO4-based salts. Monatshefte fuer Chemie 134, p. 693-719.

[5] Mac Donald, Sir. M, and Partners in cooperation with Hunting Geological Surveys Limited 1965. East Bank Jordan water resources. London.

[6] NRA, 2012. Natural Resources Authority of Jordan (open files): The geology of Al Salt area map sheet No. (3154 III). Amman. www.nra.gov.jo

[7] BGR; Federal Institut for Geologt and Raw Materials. 1996. Contributions to the Hydrogeology of Northern Jordan. Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) and Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). Report Vol. 4. In: Groundwater Resources of Northern Jordan.

[8] MoWI 2013. Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Jordan (open files: www.mwi.gov.jo

[9] Deutsche Einheitsverfahren zur Wasser-Untersuchung. 1960 Band I und II with recent updates. VCH Publishers, Weinheim, Germany.

[10] AWWA. 2009. American Public Health Association: Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water. American Public Health Association Inc. New York, updated edition 2009

[11] Piper A.M. 1944. A graphic procedure in the geochemical interpretation of Water analyses. Am. Geophys Union Trans. 25, 914-923

[12] Durov, SA. 1948. Natural waters and graphic representation of their compositions. Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR 59:87–90.

[13] Salameh E. and Hammouri R. 2008. Sources of salinity along a flow path; Disi to the Dead Sea/Jordan. Environ. Geol. 55, 2008 pp. 1039-1053.

[14] Salameh, E., 2001. Sources of water salinities in the Jordan Valley area: Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiologica 29, 6-7, 329- 362

[15] Energoproject 1975. Zarqa River project, King Talal Dam Vol. 3 geology, Belgrad, Yoguslavia.

[16] Salameh, E. and Rimawi, O. 1997. Curative water in Jordan. Publ. Ministry of Tourism.

[17] Salameh, E. 1986. The reason of elevated temperature in the Lower Cretaceous aquifer complex in Central Jordan. In Groundwater in arid and semi arid regions (Eds.: Proesl K. H. and Salameh, E). Proceedings of the International Congress, Vol.2, p. 240-254. University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

Cites this article as

A. T. , P. E. S. , "Hydro & Engineering Geological Implications of Extracting the Salty Deep Groundwater on the Mobilization of Fresh Water Resources in the Lower Zarqa River Area, Jordan", International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering & Management (IJIREM), Vol-3, Issue-4, Page No-320-338, 2016. Available from: