TY  - JOUR
T1  - Water Quality Analysis and Modeling of the Al-Rawdhatain Field, Kuwait
AU - M. Al-Humoud, Jasem AU - M. Al-Ruwaih, Fawzia 
JO  - Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
VL  - 15
IS  - 2
SP  - 698
EP  - 713
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1816-949x
DO  - jeasci.2020.698.713
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=jeasci.2020.698.713
KW  - Confined aquifer
KW  -Al-Rawdhatain field
KW  -water quality
KW  -mass balance
KW  -salinity
KW  -chemistry
AB  - The Al-Rawdhatain field is the main freshwater well in Kuwait. The fresh groundwater is produced
in the Dibdibba Formation that is the upper formation of the Kuwait group aquifer. The latest annual field
production was ∼6 Million Imperial Gallons (MIG). The quality of the fresh groundwater in the study area is
analyzed to determine the prevailing geochemical processes in the aquifer, groundwater chemistry and genesis
types. In addition, the groundwater quality and water level trends of the field during the period of 1985-2017
are investigated. The source rock is identified and the chemical equilibrium of the groundwater with respect
to the minerals in the aquifer matrix is assessed. The collected groundwater data were compiled, analyzed,
plotted and interpreted. The analyses show that the Al-Rawdhatain field contains fresh groundwater. The
salinity of the groundwater ranged from 530-1800 mgL<sup>&#150;1</sup> in 1966 from 400-1500 mgL<sup>&#150;1</sup> in 1991 and from 950
to 3210 mgL<sup>&#150;1</sup> in 2015, indicating an increase in the salinity with time. The chemical properties of the
groundwater in the study field are dominated by alkaline earths which exceed alkalis and strong acids that
exceed weak acids. The main groundwater chemistry comprises Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>, NaHCO<sub>3</sub>, Ca(HCO3)<sub>2</sub> and CaSO<sub>4</sub>.
Generally, the groundwater exhibits an over saturation with respect to calcite and dolomite and undersaturation
with respect to anhydrite, gypsum and halite. The PCO<sub>2</sub> ranges from 1.86-3.11&times;10<sup>&#150;3</sup> atm, representing a deep
closed environment system. The application of the mass balance technique indicates that the ion exchange,
reverse ion exchange, dissolution of gypsum, calcite precipitation (dedolomitization) and carbonate weathering
are the prevailing geochemical processes in the Al-Rawdhatain field.
ER  -