Recognizing factors affecting decline in groundwater level using wavelet-entropy measure (case study: Silakhor plain aquifer)

The most important approach to identify the behavior of hydrological processes is time series analysis of this process. Wavelet-entropy measure has been considered as a criterion for the degree of time series fluctuations and consequently uncertainty. Wavelet-entropy measure reduction indicates the reduction in natural time series fluctuations and thus, the occurrence of an unfavorable trend in time series. In this way, to identify the main cause of declining aquifer water level in the Silakhor plain, monthly time series of rainfall, temperature and output discharge were divided into three different time periods. Then, these time series were decomposed to multiple frequent time series by wavelet transform and then, the wavelet energies were computed for these decomposed time series. Finally, wavelet-entropy measure was computed for each different time period. Given the entropy reduction of about 71, 13 and 10.5% for discharge, rainfall and temperature time series respectively, it can be concluded that fluctuation decrease of discharge time series has relatively more effect on groundwater level oscillation patterns with respect to the rainfall and temperature time series. In this regard, it could be concluded that the climate change factors are not facing significant changes; thus, human activities can be regarded as the main reason for the declining groundwater level in this plain.