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Application of chemometrics to hydrochemical parameters and hydrogeochemical modeling of Calera River basin in the Northwest of Argentina

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Abstract

A chemometric study on physico-chemical variables of Calera River basin waters located to the northeast of the province of Tucumán, Argentina was carried out. This underground resource is an important alternative for water supply, and agricultural and cattle activities in this area. A physico-chemical analysis of 44 (forty-four) underground and Calera River water samples was carried out. Chemometric tools were used to determine which variables are more relevant and their possible associations, and also to identify the drillings whose waters are more representative of the area under study. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) were applied for this purpose. The PCA allowed us to establish that the most important variables in this region are bicarbonate, sulfate and sodium. These ions are the main constituents of the minerals and rocks which form the geological structure of this region since there are limestone deposits (calcium carbonate), gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) and halite (sodium chloride) irregularly distributed all over the region. Besides, an association between bicarbonate with sodium and sulfate with calcium variables was determined by means of CA. The most representative wells of the region under study were also selected by applying PCA. Based on these data, a regional hydrogeochemical model considering the chemical characteristics of waters and their possible interactions with the environment in which they circulate was carried out. The dissolution and/or hydrolysis of minerals present in rocks were established as important chemical processes in the area.

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Acknowledgments

CIUNT. Consejo de Investigaciones de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Project 26/G518.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, National University of Tucumán, Ayacucho 471, CP 4000, S. M. de Tucumán, Argentina

    M. Rodríguez & A. Sales

  2. Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of Tucumán, Av. Independencia 1800, CP 4000, S. M. de Tucumán, Argentina

    A. Sfer

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  1. M. Rodríguez
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Correspondence to A. Sales.

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Rodríguez, M., Sfer, A. & Sales, A. Application of chemometrics to hydrochemical parameters and hydrogeochemical modeling of Calera River basin in the Northwest of Argentina. Environ Earth Sci 75, 500 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5328-8

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