Noble gases reveal the complex groundwater mixing pattern and origin of salinization in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan

Kaudse, Tillmann; Bani-Khalaf, Refaat; Tuffaha, Randa; Freundt, Florian; Aeschbach–Hertig, Werner

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2015.12.003

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Additionally, a total of 18 studies contributed to the MWI strategy goal 2.c., which focuses on protecting drinking water resources from pollution. Jasem and Alraggad [65], Al-Adamat et al [66], and Ibrahim and Koch [67] presented a groundwater vulnerability map for the area, Gassen et al [68] delineated the protection zones of AWSA wellfield, and the remainder contributed to this goal by investigating the quality of groundwater in AWSA wellfield area [61,62,64,[69][70][71][72][73], in the northern region of the basin [74,75], in the southern region of the basin [76], in Qaser tuba landfill [77] and the Azraq Basin as a whole [26]. Furthermore, 18 studies contributed to goal 2.d., which focuses on improving the efficiency of storing and utilizing surface water, with 17 addressing various opportunities to utilize the surface water quantity and defining the suitable locations for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) [51,[78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93].…”

Section: Goals Related To Water Supplymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beyond the studies that conducted sampling campaigns as secondary RFAs [61,63,66,67,77,87,88], sampling campaigns were the main RFA in 20 studies. Water samples were collected, and isotopes were analyzed to (a) study the recharge rate in the Azraq Basin [23], (b) define the recharge origin in the basin [24,25,116], (c) group water types [26,42,76], (d) study the salination process [64,[71][72][73], (e) evaluate nitrate leaching to groundwater [74,75], and (f) inspect the eutrophication process of surface water [94]. Soil samples were collected in the basin to (a) explore soil suitability for agriculture [117][118][119], (b) define the source of sulfur and gypsum [120], (c) estimate the recharge rate [33], and (d) map the soil moisture of the Al-Bagureyya area [121].…”

Section: Research Focus Areas Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Novel Method to Assess the Impact of a Government’s Water Strategy on Research: A Case Study of Azraq Basin, Jordan

Alqadi

Dwairi

Dehnavi

et al. 2021

Water

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Water scarcity drives governments in arid and semi-arid regions to promote strategies for improving water use efficiency. Water-related research generally also plays an important role in the same countries and for the same reason. However, it remains unclear how to link the implementation of new government strategies and water-related research. This article’s principal objective is to present a novel approach that defines water-related research gaps from the point of view of a government strategy. The proposed methodology is based on an extensive literature review, followed by a systematic evaluation of the topics covered both in grey and peer-reviewed literature. Finally, we assess if and how the different literature sources contribute to the goals of the water strategy. The methodology was tested by investigating the impact of the water strategy of Jordan’s government (2008–2022) on the research conducted in the Azraq Basin, considering 99 grey and peer-reviewed documents. The results showed an increase in the number of water-related research documents from 37 published between 1985 and 2007 to 62 published between 2008 and 2018. This increase should not, however, be seen as a positive impact of increased research activity from the development of Jordan’s water strategy. In fact, the increase in water-related research activity matches the increasing trend in research production in Jordan generally. Moreover, the results showed that only about 80% of the documents align with the goals identified in the water strategy. In addition, the distribution of the documents among the different goals of the strategy is heterogeneous; hence, research gaps can be identified, i.e., goals of the water-strategy that are not addressed by any of the documents sourced. To foster innovative and demand-based research in the future, a matrix was developed that linked basin-specific research focus areas (RFAs) with the MWI strategy topics. In doing so, the goals that are not covered by a particular RFA are highlighted. This analysis can inspire researchers to develop and apply new topics in the Azraq Basin to address the research gaps and strengthen the connection between the RFAs and the strategy topics and goals. Moreover, the application of the proposed methodology can motivate future research to become demand-driven, innovative, and contribute to solving societal challenges.

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Section: Goals Related To Water Supplymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research Focus Areas Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel Method to Assess the Impact of a Government’s Water Strategy on Research: A Case Study of Azraq Basin, Jordan

Alqadi

Dwairi

Dehnavi

et al. 2021

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The present study examines the use of helium ( 4 He), which is completely inert and is produced in the radioactive decay of uranium (U) and thorium (Th). Isolation from the atmosphere during regional groundwater flow and fluxes from deeper resources result in helium concentrations increasing by orders of magnitude (Ballentine and Burnard ; Kaudse et al ; Stute et al ). Measuring helium in aquitard pore water proves difficult because helium is readily lost from core samples due to its low solubility and therefore, core samples must be immediately preserved using specialized methods (Osenbrück et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quartz‐Helium Method to Estimate Fluid Flow in Thick Aquitards, Gunnedah Basin, Australia

2018

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The hydraulic integrity of aquitards is generally assumed and relies on a few core-scale permeability measurements, drill-stem tests, or textbook values. This approach is because hydraulic data across the full aquitard thickness is generally lacking. Proper assessment of aquitard integrity should be studied at the formation (spanning its entire thickness at a single point) or regional (formation properties at multiple locations throughout the basin) scale. One formation-scale approach uses environmental tracers and advection-dispersion modeling to constrain fluid flow rates. This study demonstrates the use of helium concentrations in quartz as a method of constraining the rate of fluid flow in a 520-m thick aquitard in the Gunnedah Basin, NSW, Australia. Quartz was separated from existing core samples in the Watermark and Porcupine Formations at depths from 750 to 1200 m. The helium was released from these samples by heating and select samples were impregnated with helium to determine the rate of helium diffusion through the quartz. One-dimensional advection-dispersion modeling of the helium profile accounting for diffusive helium exchange between quartz and pore water revealed, that (1) vertical fluid velocity has been on the order of 0.02 mm/year or less for tens to thousands of years, (2) helium is in equilibrium between quartz and pore water, and (3) the helium profile is transient indicating that helium concentrations in the underlying Maules Creek Formation has varied over geological time. Further modeling identified aquitard conditions (thickness and temperature) for which equilibrium exists, a precondition for deriving formation-scale permeability.

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The role of fault pathways for modern and deep recharge to a semi-confined aquifer: revised analysis of modern water leakage pathways in the Davis wellfield, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Towell,

Larsen,

Schoefernacker

et al. 2024

Environ Earth Sci

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Hydrologic tracer, borehole log and geophysical data provide new insight into recharge sources and pathways to the semi-confined Memphis aquifer in the Davis wellfield, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A. New data and recent studies highlight the importance of faults as potential pathways for the migration of modern water into the Memphis aquifer, an important regional public, industrial, and agricultural water supply. Geochemical and environmental tracer data collected over the past 28 years, combined with hydrologic, stratigraphic, and structural data, were used to evaluate changes in water quality and different recharge pathways to the Memphis aquifer. Assessment of stratigraphic and structural relationships argue for the wellfield being bound by a fault along the bluff line (west) and another fault or faults along the eastern and southeastern margins. Modern water recharge (< 60 years old) occurs through the fault along the western boundary of the wellfield, whereas modern water and, seasonally, deep-seated (helium-bearing) fluids recharge along the fault on the southeastern margin. Each recharge source and pathway present different vulnerabilities, suggesting that the role of faults in wellfields within active tectonic regions needs to be assessed.

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Noble gases reveal the complex groundwater mixing pattern and origin of salinization in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

A Novel Method to Assess the Impact of a Government’s Water Strategy on Research: A Case Study of Azraq Basin, Jordan

A Novel Method to Assess the Impact of a Government’s Water Strategy on Research: A Case Study of Azraq Basin, Jordan

Quartz‐Helium Method to Estimate Fluid Flow in Thick Aquitards, Gunnedah Basin, Australia

The role of fault pathways for modern and deep recharge to a semi-confined aquifer: revised analysis of modern water leakage pathways in the Davis wellfield, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

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