Evaluation of Vulnerability of Groundwater Aquifers to Risks Pollution Using GIS in Shewasoor Sub basin, Iraq

The importance of life is water, so groundwater is one of the most important water sources, especially at present due to the scarcity of surface water. Because of the expansion of the agricultural area, the advancement of the industry, and the potential population growth, it becomes necessary to turn interestingly to the groundwater, its investment, and its suitable utilization. The study area, the Shewasoor Basin, is located in the northeastern part of Iraq, about 40 kilometers northeast of Kirkuk City between latitudes (35 45' 28.9" N - 35 48' 59.1" N) and longitudes (44 31' 23.9" E - 44 37' 07.5" E). The study area covers about 160 km2. Elevations of the Shewasoor region range between (329-1186) m.a.s.l. The Shewasoor region is bordered at north and northeastern sides by the Taqtaq anticline, and the northern Chamchamal anticline at the southwest and west sides. The geological formations in the area extends from the youngest Quaternary sediments to older middle Miocene. It is important in this research to clarify the waters affected by groundwater pollutants within the study area using several models based on geographic information systems (GIS) to determine the extent of the risk and pollution of groundwater in the study area. These calculated factors are water depth (D), net recharge (R), aquifer media (A), soil media (S), topography (T), vadose effect zone (I), and aquifer conductivity (C). Groundwater, through which, the water flow is controlled inside and outside the area. Where VI represents the vulnerability index, and (D, R, A, S, T, I, and C) represent the parameters used in groundwater vulnerability assessment. Multiple criteria decision analysis shows that the vulnerability in the area is divided into five zones, the northern and northwestern regions have high vulnerability, while areas of low vulnerability are in the center and parts in the south of the study area, while areas of medium vulnerability are found in the remaining areas.