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Sources of groundwater salinity along the flow path, Disi–Dead Sea/Jordan

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

The groundwater along the eastern escarpment of the Dead Sea shows a variety of chemical compositions with EC values ranging between 500 and a few thousand μS/cm. In this article the different groundwaters were correlated to the aquifers from where they originate and the water–rock interactions were elaborated at. It was found that the start of intercalations of Permo-Triassic and Jurassic rocks in the area and the basaltic dykes and sills are the sources, which cause a drastic increase in the salinity of the water. These rocks contents of residual evaporites, contact metamorphism products, sills, dykes and secondary altered mineral assemblage of plagioclase-, pyroxenes- and Fe-, Mn- minerals cause also drastic changes in ionic ratios, saturation indices and groundwater types. Fresh groundwater flows entering the area become, gradually, after a few kilometres highly salinized and of earthalkali type with prevailing chloride and sulfate instead of being bicarbonate waters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied and Environmental Geology, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

    Elias Salameh

  2. Department of Geology, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

    Rania Hammouri

Authors
  1. Elias Salameh
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  2. Rania Hammouri
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Correspondence to Elias Salameh.

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Salameh, E., Hammouri, R. Sources of groundwater salinity along the flow path, Disi–Dead Sea/Jordan. Environ Geol 55, 1039–1053 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1053-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1053-7

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