Development of an Improved Fuzzy Approach to Model Potential Sites for Groundwater Artificial Recharge

Delineation of potential sites for groundwater artificial recharge is an important and challenging task. The purpose of this research is to develop a new data-driven fuzzy approach to model potential sites for groundwater artificial recharge. To achieve this end, the efficient criteria of a proper site for groundwater artificial recharge were first recognized and presented as a conceptual model. Then, different evidence layers were analyzed and weighted by using logistic function in a geographic information system. Finally, the weighted evidence layers were integrated using fuzzy gamma operator to define potential areas. This is the first time of generating continuous-weighted evidence layers without using expert judgments and without simplification and classification of evidence data. Application of the proposed method in a real data set of Hamedan-Bahar catchment basin demonstrated that it can efficiently be used to delimit the study area and to recognize targets for further field evaluations.