Optimum management model of unconfined groundwater aquifer in Safwan-Zubair area, south of Iraq

Other Title(s)

نمذجة الإدارة المثلى لحشرج المياه الجوفية غير المحصور في منطقة سفوان-الزبير جنوب العراق

Dissertant

al-Maarij, Uhud Khawwam Hattaihit

Thesis advisor

al-Kazimi, Ahmad Majid Hamad
al-Tai, Majid Abd al-Wahid

Comitee Members

Khassaf, Salih Isa
Khudayr, Kifah M.
Ahmad, Lamya Abd al-Jalil

University

University of Basrah

Faculty

Engineering College

Department

Department of Civil Engineering

University Country

Iraq

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2010

English Abstract

-The present research is concerned with preparation an optimum management model to unconfined groundwater aquifer in Safwan-Zubair area, south of Iraq.

The study area lies to the southwest of Basrah governorate in south of Iraq, its area about 1235 km².

This area is involved within the Dibdibba formation, which mainly consists of sand and gravel with some cementing materials such as silt and clay.

A two dimensional numerical model has been applied by using Processing Modflow (three-dimensional finite-difference) program for representation the groundwater flow in both steady and unsteady states which has depended the collection data about hydraulic characteristics of this aquifer for the period (2000-2008).

Then, a verification test is completed to check the model by matching the calculated groundwater levels with those observed for the year 2008. The calibrated model has been used as a management tool to provide an optimization management scheme for the year 2007 which is chosen as total time period of management model for the responsibility of its climate conditions.

The optimal management process begin with choosing an objective function of maximize the total discharge amount from the total study area.

Constraints on hydraulic head values were defined to be maximum water levels subsidence of about (0.3m) and maximum water levels increment of about (1.0m), while the constraints on discharge amount were defined to be minimum amount of discharge (3.5 lit/sec) and maximum amount of discharge (7lit/sec).

The study area was divided in to (7 zones) to simplify using trial and error strategy and apply the suitable homogeneous discharge for each zone, also twenty seven assuming observation wells were distributed over the entire study area.

The optimization management model was applied to unconfined groundwater aquifer for two cases: the first has discharge pumping rate of 4lit / sec and total number of wells of 2268well, which its results were: the total groundwater withdrawals amount of (42326323.2m³ / year) and total available agricultural area of about (348.936km²).While the second case has discharge pumping rate of about 6lit/sec and total number of wells of 1522well, which its results were: the total groundwater withdrawal amount of (42606259.2m³ / year) and total available agricultural area of about (351.243km²).

The results which return to hydraulic head values were nearly the same for the two cases, so that the second case is the optimum management plan of unconfined groundwater aquifer in Safwan-Zubair area for its greater values of withdrawal groundwater amount and the total agricultural area with less number of wells.

As well as prediction runs were provided to verify the optimization model results in future for two periods : the first is (2007-2020) and the second is (2020-2030).

The prediction runs show that the optimization model is successful to provide an optimum management plan to unconfined groundwater aquifer in Safwan-Zubair area.

Main Subjects

Civil Engineering

Topics

• Mathematical models
• Aquifers
• Iraq
• Zubayr(Iraq)
• Safwan(City)

No. of Pages

119

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-316916