The effect of groundwater in plain Settlement in Jovin

Jovin plain with an area of 6980 km2 is a syncline between two anticlines of Choghatay elevations in south and Shah Jahan elevations in North. Its main drainage is Kalshur River in Jovin. Because of more than 1110 deep and semi-deep wells being exploited and lack of correct planning in groundwater resources, this plain have been introduced as a critical areas in Khorasan-e Razavi province. Relatively high density villages, dominance of agricultural activities, industrial factories like Qand-e Jovin and Jamco ferro-chromium, and the fact that two important population centers in the plain (Neqab and Choghatay) have been changed into a town in recent years will definitely result in increasing exploitation of groundwater resources, intensification of ground subsidence and creates new considerations for urban planners. In order to study the relation between ground subsidence and exploitation of groundwater resources, the present article produces and investigates topographic, geologic maps, and satellite imageries and performs field and secondary study. In the next step, piezometric maps of ground water resources were produced using meteorological information and statistics. Ground subsidence zoning map of this plain was produced using GIS techniques. The map indicates that ground subsidence happened mostly in areas where villages have a higher density and population. Moreover, industries in the area were highly influential. Finally based on the geomorphologic maps and zoning of groundwater resources reduction, suggestions are provided regarding feeding of groundwater resources and ground subsidence.