Elias Salameh

A natural analogue of high pH cement pore waters from the Maqarin area of northern Jordan. I: introduction to the site

Abstract The highly alkaline springs of the Maqarin area of northern Jordan are currently under examination as part of an international project testing the models used to analyse the safety of repositories for low and intermediate level radioactive waste (L/ILW). The Maqarin area contains a rock-groundwater system which is an ideal natural analogue of a concrete-filled L/ILW repository emplaced in a sedimentary host rock. The high pH (12.5) groundwaters at this site are the product of interaction with naturally occurring cement minerals and not of the alteration of ultramafic minerals. Stable isotope data for the hyperalkaline groundwaters lie below both the local meteoric water line and the eastern Mediterranean water line. At least part of the shift appears to be the result of groundwater interaction with the cement minerals. This paper introduces the site of the natural analogue study and, in presenting novel data on the chemistry and stable isotopic signature of the groundwater, provides background information which is used in a companion paper (Alexander et al., 1992) on testing the predictive capabilities of geochemical thermodynamic codes (and their associated databases) which will be utilised as part of the safety assessment of a L/ILW repository.

Redefining the Water Poverty Index

Abstract The Water Poverty Index (WPI) of arid and semiarid climatic zones is redefined by introducing the contribution of rainfed agriculture into WPI calculations and by making the WPI equation account for diversities in climatic conditions within arid and semiarid zones and for recycled household water used in irrigation.

Characteristics of an unusual highly alkaline water from the Maqarin area, Northern Jordan

Abstract An unusual highly alkaline natural water (pH = 12.5) is recorded in adits and wells from the Maqarin area, northern Jordan. It is a calcium hydroxide-sulfate type of water rich in base metals concentration. The hydration of lime is responsible for the high pH value of this water. The high calcium and base metals concentration is related to the effect of spontaneous combustion of organic matter in the Bituminous Marl Formation. A low-temperature transformation process is still active as a result of reaction of these waters with the rocks.

Sources of Water Salinities in the Jordan Valley Area/Jordan

Due to its history, development of its hydrologic regime, recharge-discharge mechanisms, geologic formations, and development of its hydrodynamic pattern, the groundwater resources of the Jordan Valley show a very wide range of chemistries. In this paper the groundwater hydrochemistries are studied along profiles extending N-S along the Jordan Valley escarpment and the Jordan Valley itself and along profiles extending from the eastern escarpment to the Jordan River. Hydrochemical end members are identified and the sources of water salinization are defined. It was found that the evaporites within the Jurassic and Triassic rocks are the main contributors to the salinization of groundwater entering the Jordan Valley laterally, from its eastern side, and that the deposits of the ancestors of the Dead Sea; the Lisan Lake (Lisan deposits) are the main contributors to water salinities within the Jordan Valley itself. The Jurassic and Triassic evaporites contribute with NaCI and CaSO 4 salts to the groundwater. Whereas, the Lisan deposits contribute with NaCI, CaSO 4 and moderately, in a few localities with Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ chlorides.

Pharmaceuticals, Their Metabolites, and Other Polar Pollutants in Field-Grown Vegetables Irrigated with Treated Municipal Wastewater.

The reuse of treated municipal wastewater for crop irrigation is a necessity in arid and semiarid regions but a potential entrance for emerging contaminants into the food chain. However, little attention has yet been paid to the detection of micropollutants and possible metabolites in vegetables grown under realistic field conditions. In this study, the uptake of 28 micropollutants and carbamazepine metabolites in 10 different field-grown vegetable species (among them carrot, lettuce, potato, and zucchini) from Jordan was studied. A total of 12 micropollutants and six carbamazepine metabolites, four of which have never been analyzed before in plant-uptake studies, could be detected in all of the samples in concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 216 ng per g of dry weight. In edible tissues, the total concentration of micropollutants decreased in the order of leafy (247-533) > root (73-126) > fruit-bearing (5-76 ng per g of dry weight) vegetables. A preliminary health-risk assessment for nine compounds according to the TTC concept shows no risk for seven of the micropollutats; for ciprofloxacin and 10,11-epoxycarbamazepine, however, more-specific toxicity data would be required for a refined risk assessment.

Over-exploitation of groundwater resources and their environmental and socio-economic implications: the case of Jordan

Jordan is overusing its groundwater resources stocks. The present impacts on the groundwater itself are manifested in the drop in groundwater levels, reduction in or ceasing of spring discharges, saltwater intrusions and deteriorating water quality. The socio-economic impacts are results of reduced water quality and quantity. The negative impacts, both on the groundwater resources as such, and on socio-economics are expected to intensify with the passage of time. Rethinking in the management of the water sector has become very essential and radical changes towards a balanced resources/demand equation have become inevitable for a continual yield of water resources to guarantee future generations equity in these resources.

Challenges to estimate surface- and groundwater flow in arid regions: the Dead Sea catchment.

The overall aim of the this study, which was conducted within the framework of the multilateral IWRM project SUMAR, was to expand the scientific basement to quantify surface- and groundwater fluxes towards the hypersaline Dead Sea. The flux significance for the arid vicinity around the Dead Sea is decisive not only for a sustainable management in terms of water availability for future generations but also for the resilience of the unique ecosystems along its coast. Coping with different challenges interdisciplinary methods like (i) hydrogeochemical fingerprinting, (ii) satellite and airborne-based thermal remote sensing, (iii) direct measurement with gauging station in ephemeral wadis and a first multilateral gauging station at the river Jordan, (iv) hydro-bio-geochemical approach at submarine and shore springs along the Dead Sea and (v) hydro(geo)logical modelling contributed to the overall aim. As primary results, we deduce that the following: (i) Within the drainage basins of the Dead Sea, the total mean annual precipitation amounts to 300 mm a(−1) west and to 179 mm a(−1) east of the lake, respectively. (ii) The total mean annual runoff volumes from side wadis (except the Jordan River) entering the Dead Sea is approximately 58–66 × 10(6) m(3) a(−1) (western wadis: 7–15 × 10(6) m(3) a(−1); eastern wadis: 51 × 10(6) m(3) a(−1)). (iii) The modelled groundwater discharge from the upper Cretaceous aquifers in both flanks of the Dead Sea towards the lake amounts to 177 × 10(6) m(3) a(−1). (iv) An unexpected abundance of life in submarine springs exists, which in turn explains microbial moderated geo-bio-chemical processes in the Dead Sea sediments, affecting the highly variable chemical composition of on- and offshore spring waters.The results of this work show a promising enhancement of describing and modelling the Dead Sea basin as a whole.

Isotopic analyses and hydrochemistry of the thermal springs along the eastern side of the Jordan Dead Sea—Wadi Araba Rift Valley

Abstract The isotopic composition of the present precipitation as well as the groundwaters of Jordan is found to lie between the eastern Mediterranean and the meteoric water lines. Whereas the isotopic compositions of precipitation and groundwater from north and central Jordan plot between both lines, those of southern Jordan cluster closer to the meteoric water line. The deep sandstone aquifer complex in central Jordan receives water from the overlying Tertiary—Upper Cretaceous units as well as from the sandstones of southern Jordan. Both contributions mix in the eastern part of central Jordan, flow from there in a westerly direction and discharge on the slopes above the Dead Sea. At the interface of fresh groundwater and Dead Sea water, mixing between the latter two waters takes place under a normal geothermal gradient. The water is then discharged as thermal water with an isotopic composition following the equation: δ D = 3.97 δ 18 O − 16.9 (%)

Environmental Management in Jordan: Problems and Recommendations

SUMMARY Jordan face as wide variet oyf environmental problems,most of which are attributable to the inherent water supply-demand imbalance. This ha papes examiner d th e broa drange of environmental problems experience byd Jordan ,including local, regional an globald ,, environmenta lthreats. Economic cost of ignorins g environmenta pro- lblems are presented, with examples showin hogw expen-sive and how complicated decontaminatio many be. Thepaper then discusses current policymakin to countegr theexisting problems and recommended that future decision-making mechanisms be flexible, robust, and timely enoughto be able to cope effectivel any rapidld y with th e ever-growing environmental problems.In conclusion th,e paper offers some suggestion for show the process of environmental policymakin magy beimproved and accelerated in order to cope with th e widerange of environmental problems facing Jordan. The paperrecommends that scientist ansd researchers become moreinvolved in governmental decision-making to, be able toestablish more technically-informed policies than hitherto.In addition, some typ of concessionae l financin mag y benecessary from multilatera andl bilatera l lending organiz-ations to assist in overcoming some of the more threateningenvironmental problems, a sucs watehr quality an,d toprovide economic impetu tso a depressed economy.

New perspectives on interdisciplinary earth science at the Dead Sea: The DESERVE project.

The Dead Sea region has faced substantial environmental challenges in recent decades, including water resource scarcity, ~1m annual decreases in the water level, sinkhole development, ascending-brine freshwater pollution, and seismic disturbance risks. Natural processes are significantly affected by human interference as well as by climate change and tectonic developments over the long term. To get a deep understanding of processes and their interactions, innovative scientific approaches that integrate disciplinary research and education are required. The research project DESERVE (Helmholtz Virtual Institute Dead Sea Research Venue) addresses these challenges in an interdisciplinary approach that includes geophysics, hydrology, and meteorology. The project is implemented by a consortium of scientific institutions in neighboring countries of the Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine Territories) and participating German Helmholtz Centres (KIT, GFZ, UFZ). A new monitoring network of meteorological, hydrological, and seismic/geodynamic stations has been established, and extensive field research and numerical simulations have been undertaken. For the first time, innovative measurement and modeling techniques have been applied to the extreme conditions of the Dead Sea and its surroundings. The preliminary results show the potential of these methods. First time ever performed eddy covariance measurements give insight into the governing factors of Dead Sea evaporation. High-resolution bathymetric investigations reveal a strong correlation between submarine springs and neo-tectonic patterns. Based on detailed studies of stratigraphy and borehole information, the extension of the subsurface drainage basin of the Dead Sea is now reliably estimated. Originality has been achieved in monitoring flash floods in an arid basin at its outlet and simultaneously in tributaries, supplemented by spatio-temporal rainfall data. Low-altitude, high resolution photogrammetry, allied to satellite image analysis and to geophysical surveys (e.g. shear-wave reflections) has enabled a more detailed characterization of sinkhole morphology and temporal development and the possible subsurface controls thereon. All the above listed efforts and scientific results take place with the interdisciplinary education of young scientists. They are invited to attend joint thematic workshops and winter schools as well as to participate in field experiments.