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This study focuses on the hydrogeochemical processes and its impact on the quality of the groundwater aquifer. Based on the geomorphology, the study area includes five geomorphological units, Wadi Kurkur bediplain, Aswan High Dam Lake, the Nile Valley, the West Dungul plain, and basement outcrops. According to the geology, the study area is distinguished by sedimentary cover ranging in age from Upper Jurassic to Quaternary. Regarding the hydrogeology of the study area, the Nubian sandstone aquifer is the main aquifer in the study area, which it is represented by 24 groundwater samples plus one sample from the stem of the Lake Nasser. All samples were collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Groundwater salinity classification shows that all the groundwater samples are fresh water types, except one sample considered brackish water type. The pH values of the selected groundwater samples vary from 5.8 in the center to 7.6 in the northern side, with a median value of 7.3. The relationship between salinity content and the other ions shows a strong correlation between the values of Ca\n                    <jats:sup>2+<\/jats:sup>\n                    , Cl\n                    <jats:sup>\u2212<\/jats:sup>\n                    , and SO\n                    <jats:sub>4<\/jats:sub>\n                    <jats:sup>2\u2212<\/jats:sup>\n                    with the TDS values and a moderate correlation between Na\n                    <jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup>\n                    values with TDS values. Silicate and carbonate weathering are the main hydrochemical processes affecting the groundwater. From the saturation indices (SI) results, it is indicated that gypsum, anhydrite and manganite dissolve with negative SI values, whereas iron minerals are supersaturated with positive values. The hypothetical salts indicate a recharge from the lake Nasser in addition to leaching and dissolution of terrestrial salts. From the mixing Model, it is indicated that the Nubian sandstone aquifer has paleowater contribution percent ranging from 81 to 92% and Lake Nasser water contribution percent ranging from 7 to 18%. The nitrate concentrations are below the maximum allowable limits of the WHO; however, high concentrations of heavy metals were recorded in the groundwater samples at various extents.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-90669-x","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T05:53:02Z","timestamp":1741672382000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Study of the hydrogeochemical processes and its impact on the quality of groundwater in the area between Abu Simbil and Tushka, Western Desert, Egypt"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Saad A.","family":"Mohallel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"90669_CR1","first-page":"108","volume":"4","author":"E Bedaway","year":"2014","unstructured":"Bedaway, E. Water resources managment: alarming crisis for Egypt. Sustain. Sci. Manag. 4 (3), 108\u2013124 (2014).","journal-title":"Sustain. Sci. Manag."},{"key":"90669_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Monsef, A. E. et al. impacts of the Aswan high dam after 50 years. Water Resour. Manag. 29 (6), 1873\u20131885 (2015).","DOI":"10.1007\/s11269-015-0916-z"},{"key":"90669_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1005603411569","volume":"46","author":"KM Strzepek","year":"2000","unstructured":"Strzepek, K. M. & Yates Responses and thresholds of the Egyptian economy to climate change impacts on the water resources of the Nile River. Clim. Change 46, 339\u2013356 (2000).","journal-title":"Clim. Change"},{"key":"90669_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Donia, N. Aswan High Dam reservoir management system. Hydroinformatics 15 (4), 1491\u20131510 (2013).","DOI":"10.2166\/hydro.2013.003"},{"key":"90669_CR5","unstructured":"Nour El-Din, M. M. Proposed climate change adaptation strategy for the ministry of water resources and irrigation in Egypt (2013)."},{"issue":"1","key":"90669_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-019-13993-7","volume":"11","author":"KG Wheelar","year":"2020","unstructured":"Wheelar, K. G. Understanding and managing new risks on the Nile with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Nat. Commun. 11 (1), 1\u20139 (2020).","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"issue":"4","key":"90669_CR7","first-page":"574","volume":"5","author":"HA Elzeldin","year":"2016","unstructured":"Elzeldin, H. A., Mohallel, S. A. & Kotop, Y. H. Multivariate statistical analysis of hydrochemical data to identify the geochemical processes in the nubian sandstone aquifer, Abu Simple, south Egypt. Curr. Sci. Int. 5 (4), 574\u2013591 (2016).","journal-title":"Curr. Sci. Int."},{"key":"90669_CR8","unstructured":"El Sabri, M. S. Evaluation and management of groundwater resources in the area between Abu Simbel and Toshka, southwestern Desert, Egypt (Ph.D. Desertation) (Menoufyia Univesity, 2006)."},{"key":"90669_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gedamy, Y. R., Abo El-Fadl, M. M., El Fakharany, M. A. & Mahmoud, M. A. Geochemical evidences for possible water seepage from Lake Nasserto the groundwater in the area between Abu Simbel and Tushka. Egypt. J. Pure Appl. Sci., 7\u201318 (2011).","DOI":"10.21608\/ejaps.2010.186245"},{"key":"90669_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jafrearsci.2008.03.006","volume":"52","author":"MA Bastawesy","year":"2008","unstructured":"Bastawesy, M. A. The use of remote sensing and GIS for the estimation of water loss from Tushka lakes, southwestern desert, Egypt. Afr. Earth Sci. 52, 73\u201380 (2008).","journal-title":"Afr. Earth Sci."},{"key":"90669_CR11","unstructured":"El Shazly, E. M. et al. The geologic map of Egypt, the structural lineation map of Egypt, and the drainage map of Egypt based on LANDSAT-1 imagery interpretation and field investigations, Remote sensing center academy of scientific research and technology cairo: Oklahoma state university stillwater oklahoma and united Nations Environment program (GEMS) 12 maps Scale 1:100000, Oklahoma State (1980)."},{"key":"90669_CR12","unstructured":"CONOCO, Geological Maps of Egypt Scale 1:500,000. Sheet Nos. NG 36 NW Cairo, The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, Egypt., (1987)."},{"key":"90669_CR13","unstructured":"Ebraheem, M. O. Geophysical studies on geological and environmental hazards at Abu-simbil region (Ph.D. Thesis) (Assiut University, 2004)."},{"key":"90669_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1144\/GSL.QJEG.1982.015.02.04","volume":"15","author":"A Shata","year":"1982","unstructured":"Shata, A. Hydrogeology of the great nubian sandstone basin, Egypt. Q. J. Eng. 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Abdel Lateif, Hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical insights on the salinization of the shallow groundwater aquifer in Siwa Oasis\u2013Western Desert\u2013Egypt. Sci. Afr. 20 (2023).","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sciaf.2023.e01742"},{"key":"90669_CR24","unstructured":"Abd El-Lateif, R. M., Ahmed, K. A. & Gomaa, M. A. Delineation of groundwater origin in Nubian Sandstone Aquifer using hydrologic isotopes, Bahariya Oasis, Egypt. Ann. Geol. Surv. Egypt 38 (2021)."},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"90669_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhydrol.2009.09.005","volume":"387","author":"JC Gattacceca","year":"2009","unstructured":"Gattacceca, J. C. et al. Isotopic and geochemical characterization of salinization in the shallow aquifers of a reclaimed subsiding zone: the southern Venice Lagoon Coastland. J. Hydrol. 387 (1\u20132), 46\u201361 (2009).","journal-title":"J. Hydrol."},{"key":"90669_CR26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s13146-016-0300-y","volume":"33","author":"S Gopinath","year":"2018","unstructured":"Gopinath, S. et al. Hydrochemical characteristics and salinity of groundwater in parts of Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. Carbonates Evaborites 33, 1\u201313 (2018).","journal-title":"Carbonates Evaborites"},{"key":"90669_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"116","DOI":"10.1007\/s12517-018-4203-1","volume":"12","author":"T Najet","year":"2019","unstructured":"Najet, T., Agoubi, B. & Adel, K. Assessment of groundwater quality of El Ouara aquifer (southeastern Tunisia), geochemical and isotopic approaches. Arab. J. Geosci. 12, 116 (2019).","journal-title":"Arab. J. Geoscience"},{"key":"90669_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kearney, T. H. Date varieties and date culture in Tunis (Govt. Print. 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Roundwater Flow patterns and Hydrochemical Facies Distribution Using Geographical Information System (GIS) in Damaturu, Northeast Nigeria. Int. J. Geosci. 3 (5), 1096\u20131106 (2012).","journal-title":"Int. J. Geosci."},{"issue":"2","key":"90669_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1007\/s12665-010-0707-z","volume":"63","author":"MATM Rahman","year":"2011","unstructured":"Rahman, M. A. T. M., Majumder, R. K., Rahman, S. H. & Halim, A. Sources of deep groundwater salinity in the southwestern zone of Bangladesh. Environ. Earth Sci. 63 (2), 363\u2013373 (2011).","journal-title":"Environ. Earth Sci."},{"key":"90669_CR38","unstructured":"Burdon, D. J. Metasomatism of Groundwater at Depth (UNESCO Course on Hydrogeology, Desert Institute, 1958)."},{"key":"90669_CR39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"425","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo2943","volume":"10","author":"S Jasechko","year":"2017","unstructured":"Jasechko, S. et al. 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