Multivariate analysis applied to the hydrochemical study of groundwater in the sedimentar basin of Araripe - CE

Abstract

Groundwater management generally involves determining many variables to characterize water quality. These variables, as they are strongly correlated with each other, make it difficult to understand their interrelationships, dependence and importance. The application of a multivariate analysis model made it possible to reduce the number of attributes and variables, indicate those responsible for the dispersion of observations and highlight the main variables that make up the water quality characterization process, which is the object of the study, presented in this investigation, for the groundwater of the Araripe Sedimentary Basin. From the results it was possible to observe that the water characteristics are related to the geological formation of the monitored wells. Therefore, monitoring measures can be performed based on the hydrochemical elements that determine water quality (CE, STD, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO4, Fe, pH and HCO3) identified by the analysis of main components. These measures can be aimed at soil conservation and better use of groundwater in the study area. Procedures to infer the main variables for determining the quality of groundwater corroborate the water resource management process, mainly in the activities of monitoring and using water sources.