Assessment of the hydro-environmental situation in the area of southern part of Aqaba (proposed for nuclear power plant site)‎ and its vulnerability against pollution using GIS

Dissertant

al-Farajat, Nur al-Din Ali

Thesis advisor

al-Harahishah, Adnan Muhammad
al-Amush, Hani R.

University

Al albayt University

Faculty

Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences

University Country

Jordan

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2010

English Abstract

Due to the increased demand on energy resources ; Jordan government suggested to establish a nuclear power plant in Aqaba city due to the existence of sea water as a sustainable source.

The southern part of Aqaba near Saudi borders was the proposed site for power plant establishment.

The study area is located about 1 km from the southern border of Jordan with the Saudi Arabia along the Gulf of Aqaba, the latter is about 5 km to the west.

The elevation of the study area ranges from 228 above sea level on the south western side to more than 1025m on the north eastern side.

About 50 m of relief between top of mountains and wadi areas, with steep slope to vertical slope.

The central and western areas of the study area are characterized by gentle slope.

The fact that the sediments in the study area are relatively citified, some fractures and/or lineaments are present in them.

These types of faults and / or lineaments create good chances for the percolation of rain water and water floods, but, on the other hand they are of negative impacts on the groundwater quality.

The unconfined aquifer in the study area overlooks the Gulf of Aqaba; this classifies it as a coastal aquifer.

All over the world, coastal aquifers are considered as an important source of water, with the fact that, many of coastal areas are heavily analyses; the need for fresh water becomes even more acute.

Encroachment of seawater towards the groundwater body is a kind of pollution with respect to the groundwater; it inherits the groundwater higher salinity.

This leads us to evaluate and assess the vulnerability of the unconfined aquifer in study area against pollution using certain method such as DRASTIC index by using GIS.

And then dividing and categorizing the area according to vulnerability degree, to be able to prevent any pollution could be happened to the ground water and to the sea water by sea water- ground water contact, therefore the area should be divided according to its vulnerability level using DRASTIC index in geographic information systems to obtain on 70% low vulnerable zones and 30% moderately vulnerable zones.

Main Subjects

Earth Sciences, Water and Environment

Topics

• Pollution
• Quality control
• Groundwater
• Jordan
• Aqabah
• Geographical information systems

No. of Pages

71

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-314917