Using environmental isotopes and dissolved methane concentrations to constrain hydrochemical processes and inter-aquifer mixing in the Galilee and Eromanga Basins, Great Artesian Basin, Australia

Moya, Claudio; Raiber, Matthias; Taulis, Mauricio; Cox, Malcolm

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.05.016

Cited by 28 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…For R se a value of 5.7 (×10 −15 ) was used, which is appropriate for aquifers dominated by sandstone (this secular equilibrium value can vary according to the dominant lithology). This R se value has been applied to 36 Cl / Cl calculations elsewhere in the GAB (Moya et al, 2016) and is similar to that calculated from drill-core samples recovered in the GAB by Mahara et al (2009).…”

Section: Geochemical Calculationsmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…This allows a direct comparison, under similar assumptions, with other estimates obtained from GAB groundwater elsewhere (Bentley et al, 1986;Radke et al, 2000;Love et al, 2000;Moya et al, 2016) and within the Coonamble Embayment (Radke et al, 2000;Mahara et al, 2007). These calculations assume a piston flow setting with no other sources or sinks besides recharge and natural decay (Eq.…”

Section: Geochemical Calculationsmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…2). It has been found that groundwater in the GAB recharge zone closest to the study area has a 36 Cl / Cl ratio up to ∼ 200 (×10 −15 ) (Radke et al, 2000) with recharge values applied in calculations elsewhere in the GAB of 110 (×10 −15 ) (Moya et al, 2016). Water from the Namoi River has a 36 Cl / Cl ratio of ∼ 420 (×10 −15 ) (Table S4).…”

Section: Isotopic Tracers ( 3 H 14 C and 36 Cl)mentioning

confidence: 89%

“…These isotopes can also be used for tracer mixing calculations independent of residence time estimations (Bentley et al, 1986;Andrews and Fontes, 1993;Love et al, 2000;Moya et al, 2016). Therefore, the combination of 3 H, 14 C, and 36 Cl dating techniques can provide hydrochemical process insights that cannot be captured by using only one isotope.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A multi-tracer approach to constraining artesian groundwater discharge into an alluvial aquifer

Iverach

Cendón

Meredith

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Understanding pathways of recharge to alluvial aquifers is important for maintaining sustainable access to groundwater resources. Water balance modelling is often used to proportion recharge components and guide sustainable groundwater allocations. However, it is not common practice to use hydrochemical evidence to inform and constrain these models. Here we compare geochemical versus water balance model estimates of artesian discharge into an alluvial aquifer, and demonstrate why multi-tracer geochemical analyses should be used as a critical component of water budget assessments. We selected a site in Australia where the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), the largest artesian basin in the world, discharges into the Lower Namoi Alluvium (LNA), an extensively modelled aquifer, to convey the utility of our approach. Water stable isotopes (δ 18 O and δ 2 H) and the concentrations of Na + and HCO − 3 suggest a continuum of mixing in the alluvial aquifer between the GAB (artesian component) and surface recharge, whilst isotopic tracers ( 3 H, 14 C, and 36 Cl) indicate that the alluvial groundwater is a mixture of groundwaters with residence times of < 70 years and groundwater that is potentially hundreds of thousands of years old, which is consistent with that of the GAB. In addition, Cl − concentrations provide a means to calculate a percentage estimate of the artesian contribution to the alluvial groundwater. In some locations, an artesian contribution of up to 70 % is evident from the geochemical analyses, a finding that contrasts with previous regional-scale water balance modelling estimates that attributed 22 % of all inflow for the corresponding zone within the LNA to GAB discharge. Our results show that hydrochemical investigations need to be undertaken as part of developing the conceptual framework of a catchment water balance model, as they can improve our understanding of recharge pathways and better constrain artesian discharge to an alluvial aquifer.

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Section: Geochemical Calculationsmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Geochemical Calculationsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Isotopic Tracers ( 3 H 14 C and 36 Cl)mentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A multi-tracer approach to constraining artesian groundwater discharge into an alluvial aquifer

Iverach

Cendón

Meredith

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…A possible explanation for the correlation between strontium and BCC may derive from the fact that the deeper groundwater in the study area exhibits high concentrations of strontium (Hafouzov, ). It was shown by previously conducted studies that variations in strontium concentration in spring water were used to indicate the influence of deep groundwater (Bakari et al., ; Barbieri, Nigro, & Petitta, ; Hofmann & Cartwright, ; Liotta, D'Alessandro, Arienzo, & Longo, ; Lyons, Tyler, Gaudette, & Long, ; Moya, Raiber, Taulis, & Cox, ; Shand, Darbyshire, Love, & Edmunds, ), and an increase in strontium at the studied sampling sites might therefore indicate upwelling groundwater that mixes with the seeping rainwater. Additionally, bacterial species inhabiting the deeper groundwater mix with the bacteria in the upper layer, forming a newly composed community, a process that has previously been described by Pedersen ().…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do composition and diversity of bacterial communities and abiotic conditions of spring water reflect characteristics of groundwater ecosystems exposed to different agricultural activities?

2018

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Modern agricultural practices have undeniably increased global food production. On the other hand, agricultural practices not only lead to a degradation of natural ecosystems but also affect the functioning of ecosystems and the related services they provide. Even though impacts of anthropogenic activities vary across ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems are among those affected to a higher degree. In comparison to surface water ecosystems, groundwater ecosystems are less affected by anthropogenic pollutants, as the overlaying soil retains organic and inorganic substances. However, it has become evident that the excessive use of fertilizers has led to the eutrophication of many aquifers. Bacterial communities, which significantly contribute to the cycling of matter due to their metabolic capacities, are prone to environmental perturbations, and structural variation of bacterial communities may consequently affect the functioning of groundwater ecosystems. Our present paper intends to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic activities on environmental conditions as well as on the structural properties of bacterial communities in groundwater. We repeatedly sampled emerging groundwater at five spring sites belonging to different catchments and determined the concentration of abiotic variables as well as the diversity and composition of bacterial communities on a local scale. We hypothesized that anthropogenic activities influence the concentration of abiotic variables, especially of nitrate, as well as the composition and diversity of bacterial communities in groundwater. Our results show that underground spring catchment areas only slightly differ regarding the concentration of abiotic variables as well as the structure of bacterial communities. Furthermore, abiotic variables, presumably influenced by anthropogenic activities, do not correlate with the diversity and composition of bacterial communities. Although supported only by circumstantial evidence, we suggest that upwelling groundwater from the deeper aquifer affects the diversity and composition of bacterial communities, and we argue that bacterial communities act as useful indicators for environmental changes.

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Groundwater mixing and mineralization processes in a mountain–oasis–desert basin, northwest China: hydrogeochemistry and environmental tracer indicators

Jin

Liang

et al. 2017

Hydrogeol J

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Using environmental isotopes and dissolved methane concentrations to constrain hydrochemical processes and inter-aquifer mixing in the Galilee and Eromanga Basins, Great Artesian Basin, Australia

Cited by 28 publications

References 41 publications

A multi-tracer approach to constraining artesian groundwater discharge into an alluvial aquifer

A multi-tracer approach to constraining artesian groundwater discharge into an alluvial aquifer

Do composition and diversity of bacterial communities and abiotic conditions of spring water reflect characteristics of groundwater ecosystems exposed to different agricultural activities?

Groundwater mixing and mineralization processes in a mountain–oasis–desert basin, northwest China: hydrogeochemistry and environmental tracer indicators

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