Recharge sources and chemical composition types of groundwater and lake in the Badain Jaran Desert, northwestern China

Shao, Tianjie; Jing-bo, Zhao; Zhou, Qi; Dong, Zhibao; Ma, Yandong

doi:10.1007/s11442-012-0941-2

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…11 shows the spatial distribution for the TDS of some lakes and wells in the two deserts. Both the TDS of the lakes and wells are in an opposite trend with the topography, which is supported by Chen et al (2012) and Shao et al (2012). The lakes and wells in the southeast have lower TDS values, where the elevation is higher.…”

Section: Tds Of Lakes and Wellssupporting

confidence: 59%

“…the midHolocene or the Late Pleistocene (Yang, 2000(Yang, , 2006Yang and Williams, 2003;Yang et al, , 2010Ma and Edmunds, 2006;Ma et al, 2005Ma et al, 2009a,b;Edmunds et al, 2006;Huang and Pang, 2007;Gates et al, 2008b;Ding et al, 2013); 2) Percolation of local precipitation, i.e. the mega-dunes can collect sufficient rainfall to fill the lakes in the depressions (Wang, 1990;Hofmann, 1996;J€ akel, 2002;Yang, 2002Yang, , 2006Yang et al, 2010;Zhao et al, 2011aZhao et al, , 2011bShao et al, 2012); 3) Subsurface runoff from the precipitation in the nearby mountains, e.g. Yabulai Mountains and Beida Mountains (Dong et al, 2004;Ma and Edmunds, 2006;Ma et al, 2005;Ma and Yang, 2008;Huang and Pang, 2007;Zhang and Ming, 2006;Gates et al, 2008a); and 4) Deep circulating groundwater from a distant area, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The previous researchers primarily applied hydrogeochemical methods to study the lakes and groundwater in the Alxa Desert, such as ion analysis and stable isotope analysis (H, O, C, Sr, He, Ne) (Geyh et al, 1998;Hofmann, 1996;Yang, 2002Yang, , 2006Yang and Williams, 2003;Yang et al, 2010;Chen et al, 2003Chen et al, , 2004aChen et al, , 2004bChen et al, , 2006Ma and Edmunds, 2006;Ma et al, 2007;Ma and Yang, 2008;Chen, 2012;Shao et al, 2012;Rioual et al, 2013;Wu et al, 2014); groundwater dating ( 3 H, 14 C) (Yang, 2002;Yang et al, 2010;Chen et al, 2003Chen et al, , 2004aChen et al, , 2004bMa et al, 2009b;Wu et al, 2014); and unsaturated zone moisture and Cl À analysis Ma et al, 2003Ma et al, , 2005Ma et al, , 2009aMa et al, , 2009bMa and Yang, 2008;Zhao et al, 2011aZhao et al, , 2011bPan et al, 2013). The few hydrometeorological observations (Gu et al, 2004;Wen et al, 2014) in the desert were only short term or discontinuous because of the extreme conditions, which has led to controversial interpretations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New observational and experimental evidence for the recharge mechanism of the lake group in the Alxa Desert, north-central China

Dong

Wang

Chen

et al. 2016

Journal of Arid Environments

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Section: Tds Of Lakes and Wellssupporting

confidence: 59%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

New observational and experimental evidence for the recharge mechanism of the lake group in the Alxa Desert, north-central China

Dong

Wang

Chen

et al. 2016

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…Groundwater is the main hydrologic input to the lakes in this study (Dong et al, ), and large amounts of dissolved substances in groundwater were deposited in minerals because of strong evaporation. This chemical precipitation affects the composition of the surface sediments in these lakes (Shao et al, ). The XRD results (Table ) show that large amounts of minerals are deposited in the sediments of saline lakes, and the contents of such minerals were lower in low‐TDS lakes and higher in high‐TDS lakes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Significance of the Chemical Composition of Sediments in Groundwater‐Recharged Lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert, NW China

Chen

Zou

et al. 2019

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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For lakes in desert hinterlands that are not recharged by river runoff, sediment is input solely by wind transport; however, the mechanisms that control the spatial variations in geochemical characteristics of sediments in such lakes remain unclear. Moreover, it remains uncertain whether some element ratios can be used as proxies for environmental characteristics. In this study, 100 surface sediment samples were collected from five lakes in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert, NW China, and examined for their major, trace and rare earth element contents and mineral assemblages. Chemical composition and mineral components of the sediments differed significantly between lakes with different total dissolved solids (TDS). Geochemical characteristics of the lake sediments and their spatial variations are influenced by eolian sands, saline minerals, and sediment sorting. Eolian sands dominate the immobile and nonsoluble elements, whereas authigenic minerals are important in influencing variations in the mobile and soluble elements. Sediment sorting is reflected in the spatial variation of the sediment chemical composition. The positive relationship between the SiO 2 /Ti of sediment and lake area indicates that changes in the SiO 2 /Ti ratio can reveal approximate lake area. The Na 2 O/K 2 O ratio in sediments can reveal the TDS of salt lakes more effectively than can the Rb/Sr ratio. However, the key factors and mechanisms governing the chemical composition of sediments at different brine evolution stages vary among lakes with different TDS levels, which should be carefully considered when interpreting the environmental significance of the chemical composition as a proxy for paleoenviroment change.

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“…However, Ding and Zhang () have argued that the groundwater in these basins is insufficient to recharge the lakes because it is only sufficient to maintain a balance with evaporation. Atmospheric precipitation and lake water in the Qilian Mountains or even the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau recharge the lakes via an underground fracture zone (Chen et al, , ; Ding et al, ). This hypothesis is supported by the presence of isotopically anomalous groundwater recorded across the Alxa Plateau, including in the BJD; however, doubts have been expressed because either the isotopic results were not interpreted in sufficient detail or they did not support the conclusions drawn (Shao et al ; Yang et al, ; Zhao et al, ). The lake water and groundwater in the BJD are derived from precipitation that occurred during the Pleistocene when the climate was more humid (Edmunds & Prudhomme, ; Ma & Edmunds, ). However, questions remain regarding the feasibility of the existence of such precipitation in the lakes at the present day.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Hydrological cycle and water balance estimates for the megadune–lake region of the Badain Jaran Desert, China

Jing-bo

Luo

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

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The hydrology and water balance of megadunes and lakes have been investigated in the Badain Jaran Desert of China. Field observations and analyses of sand layer water content, field capacity, secondary salt content, and grain size reveal 3 types of important natural phenomenon: (a) vegetation bands on the leeward slope of the megadunes reflect the hydrological regime within the sandy vadose zone; (b) seepage, wet sand deposits, and secondary salt deposits indicate the pattern of water movement within the sandy vadose zone; (c) zones of groundwater seeps and descending springs around the lakes reflect the influence of the local topography on the hydrological regime of the megadunes. The seepage exposed on the sloping surface of the megadunes and gravity water contained within the sand layer confirm the occurrence of preferential flow within the vadose zone of the megadunes. Alternating layers of coarse and fine sand create the conditions for the formation of preferential flows. The preferential flows promote movement of water within the sand layer water that leads to deep penetration of water within the megadunes and ultimately to the recharging of groundwater and lake water. Our results indicate that a positive water balance promotes recharge of the megadunes, which depends on the high permeability of the megadune material, the shallow depth of the surface sand layer affected by evaporation, the occurrence of rainfall events exceeding 15 mm, and the sparse vegetation cover. Water balance estimates indicate that the annual water storage of the megadunes is about 7.5 mm, accounting for only 8% of annual precipitation; however, the shallow groundwater per unit area under the megadunes receives only 3.6% of annual precipitation, but it is still able to maintain a dynamic balance of the lake water. From a water budget perspective, the annual water storage in the megadunes is sufficient to serve as a recharge source for lake water, thereby enabling the long-term persistence of the lakes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that precipitation is a significant component of the hydrological cycle in arid deserts.

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Recharge sources and chemical composition types of groundwater and lake in the Badain Jaran Desert, northwestern China

Cited by 23 publications

References 18 publications

New observational and experimental evidence for the recharge mechanism of the lake group in the Alxa Desert, north-central China

New observational and experimental evidence for the recharge mechanism of the lake group in the Alxa Desert, north-central China

Environmental Significance of the Chemical Composition of Sediments in Groundwater‐Recharged Lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert, NW China

Hydrological cycle and water balance estimates for the megadune–lake region of the Badain Jaran Desert, China

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