Evaluation of groundwater potential in the karstic and hard rock formations of Moro Mountain using AHP, SAW and F-AHP methods

Due to development of industrial activities and increasing of population around Mount Moro in the recent decades in one hand and reduction of alluvial water resource on the other hand, groundwater exploration in the fractured rocks of the study area is of interest. An extensive outcrop of hard rocks in Mount Moro with a medium annual precipitation of 304 mm, implies that a potential of groundwater at the area is very probable. The purpose of this study is developing a zoning map for the study area according to  the potential of groundwater  using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) by employing a set of GIS software. Distribution of igneous, sandstone and limestone formation has developed hard rock aquifers with high quality and quantity of groundwater which supply a part of drinking water for the region.  So, different layers were weighted based on SAW and F-AHP methods. Finally, the zoning map is classified into five groups (very low, low, medium, high, and very high) using the Raster Calculator Function. The resultant map verified by projecting the locations of springs and qanats on the zoning map. The final verified zoning map shows that the F-AHP and SAW results are more consistent and so it can be more reliable. Middle part of the Moro syncline showed high potential of groundwater, especially at the north flank. Fracture density and lithology have the main impact on the groundwater occurrence in this region.