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Volume :23 Issue : 1 1996
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Hydrogeology and ground water modeling of the carbonate aquifer of Al-Sulaibiya, Kuwait
Auther : F. M. AL-RUWAIH
Geology Department, Facultv of Science. Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, State of Kuwait
ABSTRACT
Al-Sulaibiya field comprises the old brackish ground water reservoir in Kuwait. The field where 136 water wells were drilled, has been under production since 1954. Hydrogeological investigations reveal that the carbonate aquifer shows a confined to semi-confined character. The aquifer transmissitivity ranges between 1500 and 5500 Igpd/ft and shows an increase in a NNE direction, while the average aquifer storativity is 2 x 10-4. The records of yearly production of brackish water show an annual increase in the abstraction rate for irrigation and domestic purposes, and the maximum seasonal abstraction is currently 500 million Imp.gal/month. The 28-year mean precipitation was recorded to be 105 mm and the mean evaporation fur the same period was 213 mm/day. These low values of rainfall and high potential evaporation in an arid region like Kuwait precludes the rainfall as a source of replenishment to the aquifer. The objective of this study is to identify the water-bearing formation type and its hydrogeologic properties, such as transmissivity, storage coefficient, secular variation of ground water level and the prediction of the ground water storage response to the heavy exploitation of the aquifer in the next 10 years from 1990 to 2000. The fluctuation of the piezometric levels showed a definite response to the production rate. The prediction of the future piezometric level using computer techniques reveals a continuous decline of the piezometric level to -300ft (MSL) in the eastern part of the field by 1990. Moreover, the ground water level is expected to decline to about -380 ft (MSL) by the year 2000. The total dissolved solid (TDS) of the carbonate aquifer does not show a significant seasonal variation, and the salinity, which ranges between 4000 and 8000 mg/1, increases and concentrates along the eastern part of the field.