Modeling the spatial variations of water quality components using geomoerphometry variables (Case study: Talesh river catchments)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• fahimeh pourfarrashzadeh ¹
• Madadi
• Mortaza Gharachorlu ²

¹ university of Mohaghegh Ardabily

² university of Mohaghegh Ardabili

10.22067/geoeh.2025.90461.1527

Abstract

Knowledge of the spatial variation of river water quality and the factors affecting it is very important due to the urgent need for safe water for different uses of drinking, agriculture and industry. The present study was conducted using a systematic approach and with the aim of discovering the interactions between watershed characteristics and spatial variations of water quality components in Talesh watersheds. The research tools included geological maps, digital elevation model (DEM), and water quality data in 12 hydrometri stations. In order to identify and determine the interactions, correlation and regression analyses were used between geomorphological variables and the water quality variables including total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC). The results of correlation analysis showed that there were significant correlations between 8 geomorphological variables including area, average elevation, average slope, main river length, length of streams, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, gravilious coefficient, concentration time, ruggedness index and two water quality variables. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.6 to 0.88. In addition, most of the relationships between geomorphological variables and water quality variables were direct. Obtaining the highest correlation coefficient in the relationship between the length of the main river and the TDS and EC variables showed that this variable was the most important hydrogeomorphic variable in explaining the spatial variation of water quality components in the Talesh river catchments. The results of regression analysis showed that efficient predictive models of spatial variation of water quality components can be obtained based on geomorphological variables. In the obtained models, nearly 98% of the variance of the qualitative variables of water (TDS and EC) could be explained.

Keywords

• Water Quality
• Geomorpholometry
• Regression
• Talesh

Main Subjects

• Hydrogeomorphology

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