Characteristics of stable isotope and hydrochemistry of the groundwater around Qinghai Lake, NE Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

The integrated use of isotopic and hydrochemical tracers is an effective approach for investigating complex hydrological processes of groundwater. The stable isotope composition and hydrochemistry of the groundwater around Qinghai Lake were investigated to study the sources and recharge areas. Most of the groundwater points lie close to the local meteoric water line, indicating that the ground waters were recharged primarily from precipitation in the basin, though it had undergone varying degrees of evaporation. The hydrochemical analysis showed that the groundwater was mainly freshwater and that the hydrochemical type was Ca–Mg–HCO₃; the results of the boomerang envelope model and solutes calculated indicated that the groundwater chemistry was mainly controlled by carbonate dissolution around Qinghai Lake. The recharge altitudes of groundwater were relatively low (at 3,400 m.a.s.l) on the northern shore of Qinghai Lake (locations G1 and G5), relatively high (above 3,900 m.a.s.l) on the southern shore (locations G3 and G4), and approximately 3,700 m.a.s.l on the western shore (location G2). Furthermore, groundwater samples from the fault zone (e.g., G3) would be recharged in part from fissure or inter-basin water. High salinity of groundwater on the western shore (location G2) was related with the evaporite dissolution, the groundwater is unsuitable for drinking, and the drinking water should be improved and enhanced in this area. Knowledge of our research can promote effective management of water resources in this cold and semiarid region and add new data to global groundwater database.     

Sources and flux of trace elements in river water collected from the Lake Qinghai catchment,NE Tibetan Plateau

River waters play a significant role in supplying naturally- and anthropogenically-derived materials to Lake Qinghai, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. To define the sources and controlling processes for river water chemistry within the Lake Qinghai catchment, high precision ICP-MS trace element concentrations were measured in water samples collected from the Buha River weekly in 2007, and from other major rivers in the post-monsoon (late October 2006) and monsoon (late July 2007) seasons. The distributions of trace elements vary in time and space with distinct seasonal patterns. The primary flux in the Buha River is higher TDS and dissolved Al, B, Cr, Li, Mo, Rb, Sr and U during springtime than those during other seasons and is attributed to the inputs derived from both rock weathering and atmospheric processes. Among these elements, the fluxes of dissolved Cr, B and Rb are strongly influenced by eolian dust input. The fluxes of dissolved Li, Mo, Sr and U are also influenced by weathering processes, reflecting the sensitivity of chemical weathering to monsoon conditions. The anthropogenic sources appear to be the dominant contribution to potentially harmful metals (Ni, Cu, Co, Zn and Pb), with high fluxes at onset of the main discharge pulses due, at least partially, to a runoff washout effect. For other major rivers, except for Ba, concentrations of trace elements are higher in the monsoon than in the post-monsoon season. A total of 38.5 ± 3.1 tons of potentially harmful elements are transported into the lake annually, despite human activities within the catchment being limited. Nearly all river water samples contain dissolved trace elements below the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking water, with the exception of As and B in the Daotang River water samples collected in late July probably mobilized from underlying lacustrine sediments.     

Constraints on water chemistry by chemical weathering in the Lake Qinghai catchment, northeastern Tibetan Plateau (China): clues from Sr and its isotopic geochemistry

Lake water, river water, and groundwater from the Lake Qinghai catchment in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China have been analyzed and the results demonstrate that the chemical components and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the waters are strictly constrained by the age and rock types of the tributaries, especially for groundwater. Dissolved ions in the Lake Qinghai catchment are derived from carbonate weathering and part from silicate sources. The chemistry of Buha River water, the largest tributary within the catchment, underlain by the late Paleozoic marine limestone and sandstones, constrains carbonate-dominated compositions of the lake water, being buffered by the waters from the other tributaries and probably by groundwater. The variation of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios with cation concentrations places constraint on the Sr-isotopic compositions of the main subcatchments surrounding Lake Qinghai. The relative significance of river-water sources from different tributaries (possibly groundwater as well) in controlling the Sr distribution in Lake Qinghai provides the potential to link the influence of hydrological processes to past biological and physical parameters in the lake. The potential role of groundwater input in the water budget and chemistry of the lake emphasizes the need to further understand hydrogeological processes within the Lake Qinghai system.     

青海共和盆地达连海湖泊流域的表土孢粉研究

对青海共和盆地内的达连海湖泊流域54个样点进行植被调查及表土花粉分析,研究了植被与表土花粉之间的关系. 结果显示： 表土花粉组合可反映出该区植被的总体特征;达连海湖泊流域花粉沉积来源于整个流域植被,花粉与主要植被类型之间相关性良好,但不能完全反映出群落的建群种、优势种和盖度等. 蒿属和藜科花粉具有超代表性,禾本科表现为低代表性,蒿/藜比具有区域植被生态特点与气候指示意义,在不同的植被区域A/C变化明显;影响达连海湖泊流域表土花粉组合的主要控制因素是风力作用.     

青藏高原东部长江河流溶质载荷主要离子地球化学研究

作者于2000年和2002年对青藏高原东部长江河流溶质载荷进行了较为系统的野外取样工作,并对主要离子地球化学特征进行了分析研究。数据分析表明,长江水系TZ 高于世界河流1250μEq的平均值,主要介于2000~3000μEq之间,其次为1000~2000μEq。总体上,高原东部长江水系TZ 可以与世界上其它造山带相比较。高原东部长江水系主要阴离子的相对丰度和分布表现出HCO3->Si Cl- SO42-,河水富含HCO3-;阳离子主要表现为Ca2 >Mg2 Na K ,表明河水富含Ca离子特征。河水中富含HCO3-和Ca2 ,说明高原东部长江水系流域盆地中碳酸盐岩(主要是灰岩)应是河流中主要离子的风化源岩。     

济南泉域浅层地下水水化学同位素研究

文章系统地分析了济南泉域浅层地下水(第四系孔隙水)和地表水的水化学成分和氢氧稳定同位素,并结合当地地形和水文条件,研究了不同地段浅层地下水和地表水的不同补给来源,揭示了浅层地下水与岩溶水的水力联系,得出浅层地下水在市区和东郊以降水入渗补给为主;在西郊和平安店则以岩溶水顶托补给和地表水(河水和水库水)入渗补给为主、当地降水入渗为辅的结论。为保护泉水、优化泉域内地下水开采方案提供了重要依据。     

Physical Criteria for Recognition of Lacustrine Gravel Beach-bar Deposits using Modern Examples,the Qinghai Lake,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

Beach-bar deposits are very common in the shallow-water zone of lacustrine basins, and have been an attractive exploration target within lacustrine basins, where numerous lacustrine beachbar oil pools have been discovered recently. Physical criteria for recognizing lacustrine beach-bar deposits are important not only for reconstruction of paleoenvironments and paleoshorelines, but also for the exploration and development of hydrocarbon. Modern beach-bars, 162 km in length, in Qinghai Lake, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, were studied in detail based on lithology, sedimentary structure, texture, basal contact, bed thickness and dip angle, mean grain size, sorting, skewness, sedimentary succession, etc. The study found that the gravel beach-bars have a fixed sedimentary succession, “ABC” sequence, which is composed of A, B, and C intervals. The A interval is characterized by poorly sorted pebbly sandstones, the B interval is characterized by well sorted conglomerates and the C interval is characterized by normally graded sandstones. The A, B, and C intervals have particular quantitative characteristics, including mean grain size, sorting, skewness, dip angle of layers, and thickness of layers. The gravel beach-bar deposits can be presented in different combined pattern, such as “ABCABC”, “ABABAB”, and “BCBCBC”. The beach-bars deposits are stripe-like, parallel to the shoreline, and with convex tops and flat bottoms. The length of the beach-bars can be tens of kilometers. The width of the beach-bars can be thousands of meters.     

Assessment of shallow groundwater in Lake Nyos catchment (Cameroon,Central-Africa): implications for hydrogeochemical controls and uses

In 1986, carbon dioxide gas exploded from Lake Nyos and killed about 1,800 people. After that disaster, various administrative and research activities have been conducted to mitigate subsequent disasters. However, none of those endeavors have characterized the groundwater chemistry to identify hydrogeochemical processes that control the water chemistry, and the quality of the water for domestic and agricultural uses that support the lives of un-official resettlers around Lake Nyos. Conventional hydrochemical techniques coupled with statistical and graphical analysis were therefore employed to establish the baseline hydrochemical conditions, assess processes controlling solutes distribution in shallow groundwater in the Lake Nyos catchment and explore its usability. Groundwater samples were analyzed for their physical and chemical properties. The wide ranges of electrical conductivity and total dissolved solid values reveal the heterogeneous distribution of groundwater within the watershed. The relative abundance of major dissolved species was Ca > Mg > Na > K for cations and HCO₃ >>> Cl > SO₄ > NO₃ for anions. Piper diagram classified almost all water samples into mixed CaMg–HCO₃ water type. Major ion geochemistry reveals that, in addition to silicates weathering (water–rock interaction), ion exchange processes regulate the groundwater chemistry. Principal component analysis supports the occurrence of water rock interaction. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the chemistry of groundwater in the study area is controlled by three main factors, and suggests no hydraulic connectivity between deep lake water and groundwater in the catchment. The quality assessment of the groundwater showed that groundwater parameters are within the acceptable limit of the World Health Organization and Nigeria guidelines for drinking and domestic uses, and water found to be good for irrigation.     

Evaluation of shallow groundwater discharge fluxes and nutrient fluxes in the west of Qinghai Lake using radium isotopes

正We collected 14 samples and 9 samples for surface water in Quan bay and the north bay of Qinglai Lake respectively,as well as 11 samples for groundwater and 3 samples for river water.First the water samples were filtered through a     

青海共和盆地结构构造与能源资源潜力

共和盆地处于西秦岭、南祁连、东昆仑造山带结合部,其中发现了高温干热岩及多套烃源岩,但地热藏和油气藏的成因、资源潜力与分布规律尚不清楚,难以对其开展准确评价和有效勘探开发。本文在系统研究共和盆地及周缘地层发育、沉积充填、构造变形与盆地深部结构的基础上,深入探讨了盆地演化的动力学机制,分析了盆地地热藏和油气藏的成藏主控因素,预测了有利分布区带和勘探方向。多期活动的哇洪山—温泉、多禾茂、瓦里贡、塘格木右行走滑逆冲断裂与青海南山左行走滑逆冲断裂异向、同向相交(切),叠加地幔上涌作用,导致在中新生代共和盆地长期处于走滑-伸展的独特环境,并控制了盆地7个隆起、断陷构造单元的展布及属性。它经历了6期演化阶段：早中三叠世处于昆北弧前盆地及陆缘火山弧带,共和盆地基底主要岩石发育;晚三叠世阿尼玛卿洋闭合并发生碰撞造山,共和盆地褶皱基底形成;晚三叠纪末期发生碰撞后伸展,发育初始小型陆内裂谷盆地;在侏罗纪—白垩纪区域性伸展环境下形成局部断陷盆地;古近纪晚期—中新世发育拉分-断陷盆地;中新世末至今发育陆内前陆盆地。形成了3个大构造-沉积层序和8个亚层序,发育了深海陆棚相-碳酸盐岩台地相-火成岩相以及多旋回的冲积...     

Li/Ca ratios of ostracod shells at Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau, China: a potential temperature indicator

Acquiring continuous and high-resolution natural records in recent 2,000?years is the hot issue in the palaeoclimate research. Recent studies revealed that Li/Ca and Mg/Li ratio of carbonate is a potential tracer of past environmental changes in the oceans, and is seldom applied for palaeoclimate reconstruction in lakes. To make full understanding of the potential of Li/Ca ratios of carbonates in lakes, Li/Ca ratios of monospecific ostracod shell Eucypris inflate with similar size in the lacustrine sediment core from Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau have been analysed for the first time. Single species can effectively avoid the interspecies effects. In combination with the sedimentation rate that existed, data derived from ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs, downcore variations of Li/Ca ratios of ostracod shells during the past 800?years in Lake Qinghai have been reconstructed successfully. By comparing Li/Ca ratios and temperature inferred from meteorological records and tree ring widths in Dulan and Qilianshan in adjacent regions, Li/Ca ratios of ostracod shells negatively correlate with temperature. Higher temperature corresponds with lower Li/Ca ratios, and vice versa, indicating that Li/Ca ratio of ostracod shells is an effective indicator for temperature variations. Therefore, ongoing in-depth investigation using Li/Ca ratios of carbonates in more lakes to further reveal its palaeotemperature implications would be deserved.     

Permafrost and groundwater on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in northeast China

The areal extent of permafrost in China has been reduced by about 18.6 % during the last 30 years. Due to the combined influences of climate warming and human activities, permafrost has been degrading extensively, with marked spatiotemporal variability. Distribution and thermal regimes of permafrost and seasonal freeze-thaw processes are closely related to groundwater dynamics. Permafrost degradation and changes in frost action have extensively affected cold-regions hydrogeology. Progress on some research programs on groundwater and permafrost in two regions of China are summarized. On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in mountainous northwest China, permafrost is particularly sensitive to climate change, and the permafrost hydrogeologic environment is vulnerable due to the arid climate, lower soil-moisture content, and sparse vegetative coverage, although anthropogenic activities have limited impact. In northeast China, permafrost is thermally more stable due to the moist climate and more organic soils, but the presence or preservation of permafrost is largely dependent on favorable surface coverage. Extensive and increasing human activities in some regions have considerably accelerated the degradation of permafrost, further complicating groundwater dynamics. In summary, permafrost degradation has markedly changed the cold-regions hydrogeology in China, and has led to a series of hydrological, ecological, and environmental problems of wide concern.     

Rare earth element and strontium isotope geochemistry in Dujiali Lake,central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China: Implications for the origin of hydromagnesite deposits

Rare earth element (REE) and strontium isotope data (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) are presented for hydromagnesite and surface waters that were collected from Dujiali Lake in central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), China. The goal of this study is to constrain the solute sources of hydromagnesite deposits in Dujiali Lake. All lake waters from the area exhibit a slight LREE enrichment (average [La/Sm]_PAAS = 1.36), clear Eu anomalies (average [Eu/Eu*]_PAAS = 1.31), and nearly no Ce anomalies. The recharge waters show a flat pattern (average [La/Sm]_PAAS = 1.007), clear Eu anomalies (average [Eu/Eu*] _PAAS = 1.83), and nearly no Ce anomalies (average [Ce/Ce*]_PAAS = 1.016). The REE+Y data of the surface waters indicate the dissolution of ultramafic rock at depth and change in the hydrogeochemical characteristics through fluid-rock interaction. These data also indicate a significant contribution of paleo-groundwater to the formation of hydromagnesite, which most likely acquired REE and Sr signatures from the interaction with ultramafic rocks. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data provide additional insight into the geochemical evolution of waters of the Dujiali Lake indicating that the source of Sr in the hydromagnesite does not directly derive from surface water and may have been influenced by both Mg-rich hydrothermal fluids and meteoric water. Additionally, speciation modeling predicts that carbonate complexes are the most abundant dissolved REE species in surface water. This study provides new insights into the origins of hydromagnesite deposits in Dujiali Lake, and contributes to the understanding of hydromagnesite formation in similar modern and ancient environments on Earth.     

青藏高原重大冻土工程的基础研究

青藏高原是我国乃至世界高海拔多年冻土区的典型代表。伴随着青藏铁路的建成通车,西藏自治区迎来了新一轮经济发展,迫切需要新建高速公路、输变电线路、输油气管道工程等。这些拟建工程与已建的青藏公路、青藏铁路、格拉输油管道、兰西拉光缆等工程均聚集于宽度不足10km范围内的青藏工程走廊。在这狭长的冻土工程走廊内,已修建或拟建的各种冻土构筑物相互影响,多因素耦合叠加,加速区域内的冻土退化,而冻土融化必将影响到工程的稳定性和生态环境退化。再加上全球气候变化的影响,其变化程度更加剧烈。面对国家需求,国家重点基础研究发展项目"青藏高原重大冻土工程的基础研究"于2012年4月正式启动。该项目旨在揭示气候变化与人类工程活动加剧背景下冻土变化及灾害时空演化规律,建立冻土工程稳定性和服役性能评价体系,提出冻土工程灾害防治理论与控制对策,为冻土构筑物群灾害应急预案和重大冻土工程建设提供科学决策依据。     

Major ion geochemistry of Godavari River at Rajahmundry, India

Detailed time-series studies on the major ion geochemistry of tropical peninsular Indian rivers are lacking. In this backdrop, a small stretch of the Godavari River, globally ranking 32nd in terms of total discharge, is chosen for sampling at its mouth. The objectives are： （1） to understand the natural and anthropogenic sources controlling the major ion chemistry of the Godavari River at Rajahmundry, （2） processes controlling the temporal variations in major ions over a period of two years, （3） comparison of total dissolved solid （TDS） fluxes and weathering rates at Godavari River with other major tropical rivers. A total of 47 surface samples were collected, bimonthly, at five stations in the Godavari at Rajahmundry spaced over a distance of 6 km for a period of two years. Water samples were collected in pre-cleaned PP bottles. Parameters like temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity were measured on-site. Samples collected for analysis of major ions were processed within a few hours of collection by filtering through 0.45 mm pore size millipore filters. Filtered water samples for major ions were transported to the laboratory in cleaned 250 mL PP bottles. Sodium and K were measured on a Flame Photometer, Ca and Mg on a Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Cl, NO3, SO4 by Ion Chromatography and SiO2 on a spectrophotometer. Chemical weathering of rocks controls the major ion chemistry of the Godavari River at its mouth as indicated by the alkaline nature of the river and dominant presence of Ca, Mg and HCO3 ions. Ca/Mg and Na/Mg ratios point its source to a mixture of lithological assemblages of basalt, granite-granodiorite,     

漳河流域典型区浅层地下水水化学特征分析

文章在阐述水文地质背景的基础上,根据采样所得水化学数据,采用舒卡列夫分类、Piper三线图法等分析了浅层地下水水化学特征,认为研究区水化学类型和成因复杂,浅层地下水化学成分自西向东存在明显分带性,由此将本区分为两个区五个亚区,并分别对其溶解性总固体与主要离子关系进行相关分析和直线回归分析,总结了不同分区内溶解性总固体与各离子的相关关系,为该区地下水的合理开发利用提供科学依据.     

Toward a geochemical mass balance of major elements in Lake Qinghai,NE Tibetan Plateau: A significant role of atmospheric deposition

Sediments in Lake Qinghai archive important information about past environmental changes. In order to faithfully interpret the sediment records and constrain the elemental cycles, it is critical to trace various sources of sediments in the lake. The results show that the elemental input–output budgets are imbalanced for most major elements between riverine fluxes and mass accumulation rate (MAR) of Lake Qinghai sediments. A realistic model must include contributions of dry/wet atmospheric deposition that allow the major element mass balance for the lake to be defined. The budget estimation is based on mass balances of Si and Al, which are relatively immobile and carried to the lake via particulate forms. Estimated annual budget of dry atmospheric deposition is ∼1.3 ± 0.3 × 10³ kt/a (accounting for ∼65% of the total inputs) to the lake sediments, assuming local loess within the catchment as a candidate for dry atmospheric deposition to the lake. The resultant flux of 300 ± 45 g/m²/a falls within the flux average of the desert area (400 g/m²/a) and the loess plateau (250 g/m²/a), consistent with the geographical setting of Lake Qinghai. The role of atmospheric deposition would be more significant if wet deposition via rainfall and snow were taken into account. This highlights the potential importance of dust as a significant source for sediment preservation flux for other catchments worldwide. The results also indicate that nearly all Ca input was preserved in the lake sediments under modern conditions, consistent with Ca²⁺ supersaturation of the lake water.     

岷江流域河水主要离子地球化学特征及人类活动影响研究

岷江水流量约为8.9×1010m3/yr,约占长江全流域水量10%。作者对4个监测站监测数据的分析发现,岷江TZ 高于世界河流平均值,具有富HCO3-、Ca2 特征;流域化学剥蚀通量为20.48×106t/yr,约占长江流域的10%;化学剥蚀速率为155.9t/km2.yr。岷江在流经四川盆地时主要离子SO42-、Cl-和Ca2 均已受到了人类活动较为严重的影响,酸雨是SO42-的主要污染来源,Cl的污染来源包括生活和工业废水、化肥和井盐开采,农业生产使用的富Ca化肥应是河流Ca污染源之一。