Ground water quality in the Arabian-Nubian shield,
Mount Sinai, Egypt
Jakość wód podziemnych w Górach Synaju na Tarczy Arabsko-Nubijskiej
Instytut Geologii, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza
Abstract: This paper describes the quality of ground water in Mount Sinai as an example of ground water quality in the Arabian-Nubian shield. The chemical analysis for the major dissolved solids of about thirty water samples from dug wells and springs were treated by a methodology combining both the graphical and statistical techniques. The impact of the bedrock, atmosphere and human activities on ground water quality was discussed. Mount Sinai is characterized by fresh water, where the hydrochemical background of the TDS is estimated between 320 and 650 mg/L, the dominant water type is Ca (HCO3)2 - (NaCl). Ground water quality shows a seasonal variation, where the evaporation process increases the concentration of all the dissolved compounds. All dissolved compounds have the same source, which may be a combination of both the atmospheric matter (dust and sea spray) and the weathering products. The main source of atmospheric compounds are probably the coastal sediments of the Gulf of Suez.
Key words: ground water quality, Mount Sinai, Egipt
