APPLICATION OF MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL METHODS TO SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER OF THE SOUMMAM BASIN, ALGERIA

Lazhar Belkhiri, Faculty of Sciences, University Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Algeria
Lotfi Mouni, Institut des Sciences, Université Akli Mohand Oulhadj, Bouira, Algeria

Abstract

Multivariate statistical methods, i.e., cluster analysis (CA), discriminant analysis (DA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA), were used to assess spatial variation in the water quality of the Soummam basin, Algeria. The application of hierarchical cluster analysis, based on all possible combinations of classification method, showed three main groups of samples. The group 1 samples are exclusively composed of surface water. Groups 2 and 3 samples are consisted of groundwater. Discriminant analysis (DA) was assigned about 98.6% of the cases grouped by CA. All groups are super-saturation with Ca-montmorillonite, dolomite, gibbsite, K-mica, kaolinite and quartz, and all these groups are under-saturation with albite, anhydrite, anorthite, CO2(g), gypsum, halite, melanterite and smithsonite. The ANOVA results indicate that the saturation indices of each of the mineral phases are significantly except chalcedony and quartz (p > 0.05).