Multiparameter cartographic assessment of the hydrochemical groundwater of the Soummam valley (Kabylia, Algeria)

A hydrochemical survey based on an analysis of groundwater data was undertaken in the alluvial aquifer of the lower valley of Soummam (LVS). The LVS reservoir is characterized by a hydrogeologically heterogeneous lithology consisting of gravel, sand, and silt (with occasionally significant levels of clay). Numerous contacts and faults affect the region. Data were derived from a hydrochemical analysis of water by titration and spectrophotometry using 60 groundwater samples. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was applied to these data to reduce their size and to understand the nature of ion associations. The results of this analysis were used for Kriging mapping to pinpoint hydrochemical features of the study area. Four factors explaining ∼92% of the data variability were identified: one related to sodium-potassium (Na-K), chloride (Cl), and magnesium (Mg); one related to nitrates (NO₃); one related to bicarbonate (HCO₃); and one related to calcium (Ca) and sulfate (SO₄).