groundwater vulnerability assessment in kharket carbonate karstic region (ne) iran, using cop and paprika methods

due to possibility of water resources pollution by anthropogenic activities, defining groundwater protection zone mainly in karstic carbonate systems is very important. in the following study, the vulnerability map of the karstic enviroment in kharket region has been prepared with cop and paprika methods. the cop method is multiattribute method of vulnerability mapping which takes into account hydrogeological, geomorphological and geological condition of the system through three "c, o and p" factors. the cop vulnerability map of the study area scores vary between 0.77 to 5.58 and it is classified as very low to high vulnerability classes. the paprika vulnerability assessment method consists of four factors "p, r, i and ka" which its scores vary between 1.2 to 3.3 and it is classified as very low to very high vulnerability classes. sensitivity analyses have shown that c parameter in cop method and ka parameter in paprika method have the highest influence on vulnerability final scores. finally, the cop and paprika vulnerability maps have been validated by the spatial distribution of no₃^- concentration and drinking water index dwqi in 12 springs in the study region. the spatial distribution of no₃^- concentration and dwqi index demonstrated good correlation with developed vulnerability maps.