A GIS-based groundwater vulnerability assessment for the Northern Shaanxi energy and chemical base, China

Groundwater is a major source of water in arid regions. Industrial and agricultural activities may deteriorate groundwater. A study was carried out to assess groundwater vulnerability for the quaternary phreatic water using DRASTIC model in GIS environment. Seven hydrogeological parameters (Depth to water, Net Recharge, Aquifer media, Soil media, Topography, Impact of the vadose zone media, and Hydraulic Conductivity of the aquifer) were incorporated into DRASTIC model and GIS was used to create a groundwater vulnerability map by overlaying the available data. The results of this study show that 16.18% of the study area has high pollution potential, 33.05% of the study area has moderate pollution potential, and 50.77% of the study area has low pollution potential.