Evaluation of the Jandaíra Karst aquifer in the Baraúna-RN region: Use of the waters and potential.
Jandaíra aquifer; Karstification; hydrodinamic parameters; anisotropy.
The study area is located in the region of Baraúna-RN city, extreme West of the Potiguar basin, RN. It covers an area of 1290 square kilometers, including the city of Baraúna (urban and rural zone), and the part of the cities of Quixeré-CE and Mossoro-RN. The Jandaíra aquifer constitutes the hydrogeological unit and it is the object of this work. It is an aquifer of carbonate rocks used in the water supply of urban and rural population, especially in the production of irrigated orcharding. The Jandaíra aquifer is a karst-fissure aquifer with a large variability in hydrodynamic parameters that is attributed to its heterogeneous and anisotropic character, with frequent features discontinuities. The aquifer is quite affected by overexploitation attributed to agricultural activities, but also is influenced by the periodic droughts that occur in the region. The study is being accomplish to evaluate the hydrogeological behavior of the aquifer Jandaíra with a view to the management of the available water resources, for this, it will be evaluated its conditions of use, the character of the groundwater flow and the hydrodynamic parameters, influence of the drought and calculation of recharge, followed by the proposition of the conceptual model.