NUMERICAL MODELING OF GROUNDWATER FLOW AND ALLUVIAL FLOODPLAINS NITRATE TRANSPORT GEOECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF AKTOBE REGION, KAZAKHSTAN

https://doi.org/10.48498/minmag.2024.231.7.007

Understanding the influence of groundwater contamination in floodplains is critical for developing long-term management plans for subsoil and assessing geo-ecological sustainability. This study aims to create a regional groundwater flow and transport model to evaluate the impact of nitrate groundwater contamination in the Aktobe region alluvial plain in West Kazakhstan. The MODFLOW model was used to construct the groundwater flow model of the local aquifer and simulate regional changes in the water table over time. The calibrated groundwater model yielded a root mean square error of 5.1 m for the entire modeled area. Results of the calibrated model show the extension of a nitrate plume under the current 2023 setting and the long-term 2048 scenario. The model helped clarify the correct location of the intake, considering increased withdrawal rates for the operational period.

*V.S. Rakhimova, D.S. Sapargaliyev, E.V. Sotnikov, T.A. Rakhimov