Modeling and Mapping of Groundwater Potential Zones of the Shewasoor Sub-Basin Using Analytical Hierarchy Process, RS and GIS Techniques in Kirkuk, Northeastern Iraq

Groundwater is considered one of the most vital natural resources for sustaining life. The demand for water in the Shewasoor sub-basin is constantly increasing due to formidable population growth and the development of human activities. Besides, groundwater is scarce due to climatic changes in arid and semi-arid. This study aims to determine spatial distribution of groundwater potential in the Shewasoor sub-basin. This study relied on seven layers (geology, slope, elevation, lineament, drainage density, soil, and land use/land covers) using geographic information systems, remote sensing, and applying the analytical hierarchy process method after determining the weights for each parameter by a multi-criteria decision analysis; to model the groundwater potential map in the Shewasoor sub-basin. The result appeared as a map of groundwater potential categorized into five zones. The majority of the sub-basin (61.8 km2) falls under a very high-high groundwater potential zone, which distributes over an area of elevations, drainage density, and slopes low of the Bai-Hassan Formation; from the center towards the north of the sub-basin. The moderate groundwater potential zone (47.6 km2) mainly encompasses an area of elevations and slopes moderate to the Bai-Hassan formation. About 49.6 km2 is a very low to low groundwater potential zone, mainly found over the area of the elevations and slopes high within the Mukdadiyah Formation east of the sub-basin; in addition to, low groundwater potential within the Bai-Hassan Formation in the south, west, and some part center of the sub-basin due of the elevations and slopes high.