Potential hydraulic connectivity of coal mine aquifers based on statistical analysis of hydrogeochemistry

Origin and evolution of groundwater in the Goharzamin mine area using hydro-geochemical and isotopic analyses

“…Groundwater chemical composition involves the spatial and temporal variations due to precipitation, water-rock interaction, evaporation, redox reactions, recharge water quality, reactions of ion exchange, sorption, dissolution, climate, the grade of chemical weathering of different types of rock, mixing processes, etc. Hydrogeochemical analysis techniques in combination with stable isotope analysis (e.g., 18 O and 2 H), radioisotopes (e.g., 3 H and 14 C), and statistical techniques (e.g., Principal-Component-Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical-Cluster-Analysis (HCA)) are often applied as effective methods to provide significant information regarding similarities among groundwater samples and/or hydrochemical variables, the groundwater residence times in aquifers, the source of groundwater in reservoirs, the groundwater movement's rate and direction, hydrochemical reactions in aquifers, climatic conditions during the recharge, hydraulic connection between different water sources, geological structure of aquifers, and anthropogenic impacts on aquifers (Zouari et al 2011;Fang 2019;Acikel and Ekmekci 2021;Okofo et al 2022;Zhao et al 2022;Nayak et al 2023;Ju et al 2024;Hamma et al 2024; amongst many others). These analysis techniques play a crucial role in enhancing our comprehension of hydrogeological systems.…”