Geological and structural influences on groundwater flow and quality were evaluated in the present study in the hardrock regions of Tirunelveli District, southern India. Groundwater is a major source of freshwater in this region to cater to the requirements of domestic and agricultural activity, as there are no surface water resources. Geologically, the area is characterized by charnockites and garnetiferous biotite gneiss. Groundwater in this region is found to occur in the weathered portion under unconfined condition and in fractured/fissured portions under unconfined to semi-confined condition. Existence of deep-seated fractures are minimal. Lineaments/dykes play a major role in the occurrence and movement of groundwater in the region. Lineaments/dykes of the study area can be broadly divided into two types: north-south and west-east oriented structures. Analysis and field observations revealed that the northsouth dykes act as a barrier of groundwater while the west-east oriented structures behave as a carrier of groundwater. Both quality and quantity of groundwater is different on the upstream and downstream sides of the dyke. Hence, it is conclusive that the west-east oriented dykes in this region are highly potential and act as a conduit for groundwater movement from recharge areas to the discharge area.
Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in phreatic aquifers of Alleppey district were studied. Factor analysis has been applied to the chemical analysis data of 32 water samples collected from dug wells to extract the principal factors corresponding to the sources of variation in the hydrochemistry. 12 hydrochemical parameters were correlated and statistically examined. Varimax rotation was used to define the factor scores and percentage of variance in the hydrogeochemistry. A four-factor model is extracted and explains over 80.394% of the total groundwater quality variation. Factor-1 has high loading values of Electrical Conductivity (EC), Ca ++ , and Cl -, and reflects the signature of saline water. Similarly strong correlation exists between F3 score and pH. The correlation coefficient matrix between EC and Na + , Cl -, SO 4 --is significant. The mineralogy of coastal aquifers and the marine aerosol are playing significant role in the hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in the phreatic aquifer system.
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