Groundwater Classification Using Multivariate Statistical Methods: Birimian Basin, Ghana

Abstract

Groundwater from the aquifers of Birimian system in the northern and southern sections of the country was sampled for the concentrations of the major ions in the area. The objective was to determine the spatial groundwater associations which will in turn be used to infer the position of each groundwater group in the flow system. In addition, this study intended to determine the major sources of variation in the hydrochemistry and the suitability of groundwater from aquifers of the Birimian system for irrigation activities. R-mode factor and Q-mode hierarchical cluster analyses were used together with conventional graphical techniques. This study revealed four groundwater associations (clusters) representing three major groundwater types in the Birimian System: the