Investigation of hydrogeochemical characteristics of the aquifer of the Tabriz Plain using the hydrochemical models and statistical methods

The Tabriz plain with an area of more than 700 km2 extends from the eastern side of Tabriz city to the salt flats of Urmia Lake. In this study, in order to assess the hydrochemical characteristics of the groundwater of aquifer of the Tabriz plain, 30 groundwater samples were collected in October 2012 and analyzed at hydrogelogy Laboratory of university of Tabriz. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hydrochemical characteristics of the Tabriz plain aquifer and the groundwater sequence evolution. In this context the multivariate statistical techniques such as factor analysis, saturation index of minerals, chloro-alkaline index and inverse hydrochemical modeling were used. Saturation index of minerals show that the groundwater is saturated with respect to the carbonate minerals, under saturated with respect to the halite and sulfate minerals. The results of the factor analysis show that three factors were affecting the quality of the groundwater in the Tabriz plain. The first and second components resulting from affecting of formations and water-rocks interactions, so called geogenetic, and the third component is because of the anthropogenic phenomena.