Journal of Earth Sciences and Geotechnical Engineering

Soil Salinity of Mesopotamia and the Main Drains

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• Abstract

   

  Since early civilization and the farmers in Mesopotamia are suffering from the soil salinity. This problem had caused the transfer of power from the Sumerians to the Babylonians in ancient history. Great efforts and research have been made since the beginning of the 20th century to overcome this salinity problem. Experts have concluded that the main reason for salinity is the salt content of irrigation water and the shallow saline groundwater derived from the irrigation activities. General schemes were planned, which involve building a new system of drains in parallel to the irrigation network. The backbone of the drainage system in Mesopotamia is the Main Outfall Drain (MOD). Large works such as Musayab Main Drain, Main Outfall Drain, Great Gharraf Drain, East Euphrates Drain were implemented, but there are still large needs for much more work to be done.  

       

  Keywords: Soil Salinity, Musayab Main Drain, Main Outfall Drain, MOD, Great Gharraf Drain, East Euphrates Drain.