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On the possibility of establishing sanatorium-resort zones and medical and wellness tourism facilities based on recreational-climatic conditions and therapeutic mineral groundwater in the Surkhandarya region

Сурхондарё вилоятида рекреацион-иқлимий ва шифобаҳш минерал ер ости сувлари асосида санаторий-курорт зоналари ҳамда тиббиёт ва соғломлаштириш туризми объектларини ташкил этиш имконияти тўғрисида

T. I. Mumindzhanov, B. J. Ismailov, A. Kh. Yusupov, T. A. Gafurov, A. S. Ibragimov, Kh. F. Khasanbayev

  1. Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (HYDROENGEO), Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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Publisher’s page

Geologiya i mineral'nye resursy (Geology and Mineral Resources), No. 4

Date2025

Issue2025, pp. 61–67

LanguageUzbek, Cyrillic script (Russian and English abstracts)

LicenceNot stated

Published byMineral Resources Institute

Highlights

  • Geothermal gradient used for the deep aquifers of the Surkhandarya artesian basin: 2.7 °C per 100 m.
  • Alay-bed groundwater: 24.2–46 °C, depending on depth.
  • Upper Cretaceous water: 37–45 °C in the centre of the basin, 11–18 °C at the margins; formation water in the west and south-west: 100–150 °C.
  • Lower Cretaceous water: 50–150 °C (4,000–4,500 m); Jurassic water (2,000–5,000 m): about 100–180 °C; Palaeozoic: about 250 °C at 8,000 m, by extrapolation.
  • Strongly hydrogen-sulphide thermal water (250–600 mg/L) from Palaeogene limestones and dolomites: 5–13.0 L/s.
  • Jayronkhona sanatorium, well IX: 37–40 °C, 26.9–28.6 g/L, pH 6.2–6.6, H₂S 250–600 mg/L, iodine 23.7 mg/L, bromine 53.5 mg/L.
  • Uchkizil sanatorium, well XII: 40 °C, 60–65.4 g/L, pH 8.1, H₂S 340–400 mg/L.

Abstract

The article outlines the prospects for the integrated use of climatic conditions and therapeutic mineral waters in the southern regions to expand resort and recreational zones, using the Surkhandarya region as an example.

English abstract from the journal issue PDF. The authors’ abstract, reproduced under .

In plain English

Presidential resolution PP-335 of 23 September 2024 on medical and wellness tourism provides for sanatorium-resort zones in 2025–2026 in regions with therapeutic waters, including Boysun and Oltinsoy districts of Surkhandarya region. The article assesses the region’s climate for recreation, then its mineral and thermal groundwater and the sanatoriums that use it.

Strongly hydrogen-sulphide water (250–600 mg/L) comes as high-pressure thermal water from Palaeogene limestones and dolomites of the Alay and Bukhara beds, at 5–13.0 L/s. Highly mineralised chloride–sodium water occurs mainly in the formation water of the region’s oil and gas fields and is used for treatment at the Jayronkhona and Uchkizil sanatoriums. Slightly alkaline hydrogen-sulphide water occurs in Upper Cretaceous sandstones.

The Surkhandarya artesian basin is little studied for geothermal purposes, and the temperatures of its deep aquifers are mainly calculated from a geothermal gradient of 2.7 °C per 100 m. Groundwater in the Alay beds is 24.2–46 °C, depending on depth. In the west and south-west, where the aquifers lie deep, formation water is 100–150 °C; at the margins, where Upper Cretaceous beds are shallow, it is 11–18 °C, and in the centre of the basin Upper Cretaceous thermal water is 37–45 °C. Lower Cretaceous water is 50–150 °C depending on depth (4,000–4,500 m), Jurassic water (2,000–5,000 m) about 100–180 °C, and extrapolation gives about 250 °C for the Palaeozoic at 8,000 m.

Six sanatoriums use mineral water and two more are climatic resorts. Jayronkhona draws hydrogen-sulphide, iodine–bromine, chloride–sodium water at 37–40 °C from well IX in Palaeogene (Alay) limestone and shell rock, and Uchkizil uses 40 °C chloride–sodium water from well XII in Senonian sandstone. The spring water of Omonkhona (17–18 °C) and Khojaipok (20–21.3 °C) and the hydrogen-sulphide water of Marvarid and Termiz Marvaridi (21–24 °C) are cooler. The authors conclude that the region’s thermomineral groundwater could serve as an alternative energy source for industry, energy, agriculture, resorts and ecotourism, including modern greenhouses and fish farming.

Figures (2)

Map of Surkhandarya region in green, yellow and pink zones of mineral groundwater, with orange Palaeozoic outcrops in the north, triangles for sanatoriums and symbols for mineral-water wells and springs, from Khondiza in the north to Termez in the south
Figure. Map of the recreation and resort areas of Surkhandarya region (scale 1:1,000,000). Health facilities: 1 – children’s sanatoriums; 2 – sanatorium-prophylactoriums. Prospective resort and climatic areas (absolute height): 3 – over 2,000 m; 4 – 500–1,000 m; 5 – up to 500 m. Balneological resources: 6 – mineral-water well; 7 – therapeutic spring. Average frequency of climatically comfortable conditions, EET (%): 8 – 20–30; 9 – 30–40; 10 – 40–50; 11 – 50–60. Areas of mineral groundwater: 12 – without specific components or properties, mineralisation 1–10 g/L (therapeutic and drinking waters); 13 – without specific components or properties, 10–15 g/L (therapeutic waters); 14 – saline, over 35 g/L, rich in I, Br, H₃BO₃, H₂SiO₃+HSiO₃⁻, H₂S+HS⁻, Fe²⁺+Fe³⁺, dissolved CO₂, organic carbon and other minor components (therapeutic waters); 15 – outcrops of Palaeozoic and older rocks, with areas and focal sources of mineral groundwater; 16 – boundaries of climatic areas; 17 – boundaries between different mineral waters; 18 – regional borders. Source: T. I. Mumindzhanov et al. (2025), Mumindzhanov et al. (2025), map on p. 65.
Table of six sanatoriums and two climatic resorts in Surkhandarya region, with well or spring number, water type and temperature, host rocks and their age, mineralisation and pH, treatment and location
Table 2. Sanatoriums and resorts operating in Surkhandarya region and their treatment profiles: well or spring, type, chemistry and temperature of the water, water-bearing rocks and their age, mineralisation and pH, treatment and location. Source: T. I. Mumindzhanov et al. (2025), Mumindzhanov et al. (2025), Table 2.

How to cite

T. I. Mumindzhanov, B. J. Ismailov, A. Kh. Yusupov, T. A. Gafurov, A. S. Ibragimov and Kh. F. Khasanbayev (2025). On the possibility of establishing sanatorium-resort zones and medical and wellness tourism facilities based on recreational-climatic conditions and therapeutic mineral groundwater in the Surkhandarya region. Geologiya i mineral'nye resursy (Geology and Mineral Resources), No. 4, 2025, pp. 61–67. https://mridm.uz/en/assets/journal/pdf/4_2025.pdf