Assessment of groundwater salinity using principal component analysis (PCA): a case study from Mewat (Nuh), Haryana, India

In the present study, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to investigate the processes controlling groundwater salinity in the Mewat (Nuh) district, Haryana, India. Twenty groundwater samples were collected from salinity-affected areas in the March–April months of years 2018 and 2019 and were analyzed for chemical variables pH, EC, Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , HCO_3^- , Cl − , SO 4 2− , NO_3^- , TDS, and total hardness. Three principal components were selected based on the eigen value, which explains 79.58