The mapping of vulnerability indices is useful for planning and use of land and water, particularly in preserving the quality of groundwater resources. The main purpose of this research is to develop a universal method, in which the vulnerability priority is determined on the quantitative and qualitative using only variables that can be measures in order to allow comparison of all types of vulnerabilities aquifers any region. The aim is to describe the intrinsic vulnerability of the aquifer with a system consisting of a set of interrelated entities that cooperate for a common goal, protection or vulnerability. The analysis of the relationships between variables and the vulnerability was crucial for the deduction of algebraic model proposed. The result is a new parametric method able to quantitatively describe the vulnerability of aquifers using a set of related components. This method, called MAIA here, is represented by a simple algebraic equation, consisting of a set of mathematical and logical relationships between variables and vulnerability with clearly defined terms, where the mathematical relationships between variables and vulnerability are precisely described. The methods DRASTIC, GOD and MAIA were applied experimentally, initially in Lençóis and Lagedinho, situated on the edge of Chapada Diamantina, chosen to contain all varieties of aquifers and subsequently fractured aquifers in the municipality of Aracatu, located in southwest the state of Bahia, where the vulnerability indices were spatial using the Surfer 8.0 software and then correlated with the concentrations of nitrate to evaluate the performance of each method.

Keywords:Vulnerability, new method, aquifers, quality.

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