Natural zeolites enhance groundwater quality: evidences from Deccan basalts in India

The zeolite minerals characterized with hydrated aluminosilicates, negative ionic charge and 3D framework structure are well known for purifying the groundwater occurring in basaltic aquifer systems. However, the filtering mechanism at in situ field conditions is a complex process, which is rarely studied, and hence, it needs to be demonstrated. This paper explores the mechanism of hydrochemical processes and evolution of natural zeolites associated with basaltic rock to enhance groundwater quality. We present the hydrochemical findings and evolution processes derived from 46 groundwater samples (N_t = 46) belong to zeolitic (N_z = 25) and non-zeolitic (N_nz = 21) zones of a micro-watershed (4.4 km²) beset over basaltic terrain, Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP), India. The groundwater samples collected for one hydrological cycle (pre- and post-monsoons) are examined for major ion chemistry to determine the aqueous solution mechanism and ion-exchange process occurred in zeolitic and non-zeolitic zones. Further, the hydrochemical parameters are appraised by means of dominancy of ions, rock–water interactions, silicate weathering, chloro-alkaline indices, cation-exchange bivariate plots and the mechanism controlling groundwater chemistry. The results show that: 1) the purifying efficiency of zeolites for total ionic strength is observed as 63.85 and 68.58% during pre- and post-monsoons, respectively, 2) the significant reduction (36.51%) in total hardness attributed to the positive trend of chloro-alkaline indices depicting the ion-exchange phenomenon between Na⁺ and K⁺ (alkalies) and Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ (alkali-earth) elements in the zeolitic zone, 3) Gibbs plot shows the rock–water interaction as the predominant mechanism controlling groundwater chemistry in the zeolitic zone, and 4) the groundwater quality parameters from zeolitic zone are found within the permissible limit of WHO drinking water standards.     

东准噶尔北缘早石炭世构造体制转变:来自碱性花岗岩年代学和地球化学制约

新疆东准噶尔北缘位于西伯利亚板块和哈萨克斯坦-准噶尔板块的结合部位,是中亚造山带的重要组成部分,也是新疆北部最重要的成矿带之一。老山口碱性花岗岩和乔夏哈拉碱性花岗岩即位于该区域,LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄显示其结晶年龄分别为330.5±3.5 Ma和331.1±3.1 Ma。结合区域内存在的多处近同时期的碱性花岗岩(布尔根碱性花岗岩、哈腊苏碱性花岗斑岩、乌图布拉克碱性花岗岩),指示东准噶尔北缘存在一期重要的早石炭世碱性花岗岩岩浆活动,并大致可分为东、中、西三段。这些早石炭世碱性花岗岩具有高硅(SiO_2=67.14%~83.02%)、富碱(Na_2O+K_2O=5.37%~10.73%)、低钛(TiO_2=0.04%~0.23%)、贫钙(CaO=0.04%~1.19%)的特征,与典型A型花岗岩特征相类似,成因类型上属A1型花岗岩,个别具有A2-A1型花岗岩过渡性质。微量元素组成具有富集大离子亲石元素K、Rb及高场强元素Nb、Zr、Hf、Th,亏损Ba、Sr、P、Eu、Ti的特征。轻稀土元素明显富集(LREE/HREE=3.42~8.11),具强烈的负Eu异常(δEu=0.03~0.74),稀土元素配分模式呈右倾海鸥型。岩石具有较高的ε_(Hf)(t)(7.6~12.4)和ε_(Nd)(t)值(5.4~6.9)。上述特征表明,这些碱性岩的母岩浆具有复杂的成因,推测为幔源岩浆底侵到下地壳,促使下地壳先存的富Nb玄武岩部分熔融,并发生岩浆混合,经过一定程度的分离结晶形成。综合本文数据及地质事实,我们认为东准噶尔北缘在358 Ma部分地区开始进入板内后造山伸展环境,即板内早期环境,但早石炭世(360~327 Ma)整体处于由后碰撞向板内后造山环境转化的过渡阶段。东准噶尔北缘东、中、西段进入板内环境的时间不尽相同,可能与其多俯冲岛弧系统拼贴增生时代的不均一性有关。     

An integrated hydrogeological study to support sustainable development and management of groundwater resources: a case study from the Precambrian Crystalline Province,India

The rapid expansion of agriculture, industries and urbanization has triggered unplanned groundwater development leading to severe stress on groundwater resources in crystalline rocks of India. With depleting resources from shallow aquifers, end users have developed resources from deeper aquifers, which have proved to be counterproductive economically and ecologically. An integrated hydrogeological study has been undertaken in the semi-arid Madharam watershed (95 km²) in Telangana State, which is underlain by granites. The results reveal two aquifer systems: a weathered zone (maximum 30 m depth) and a fractured zone (30–85 m depth). The weathered zone is unsaturated to its maximum extent, forcing users to tap groundwater from deeper aquifers. Higher orders of transmissivity, specific yield and infiltration rates are observed in the recharge zone, while moderate orders are observed in an intermediate zone, and lower orders in the discharge zone. This is due to the large weathering-zone thickness and a higher sand content in the recharge zone than in the discharge zone, where the weathered residuum contains more clay. The NO₃ ^? concentration is high in shallow irrigation wells, and F^? is high in deeper wells. Positive correlation is observed between F^? and depth in the recharge zone and its proximity. Nearly 50 % of groundwater samples are unfit for human consumption and the majority of irrigation-well samples are classed as medium to high risk for plant growth. Both supply-side and demand-side measures are recommended for sustainable development and management of this groundwater resource. The findings can be up-scaled to other similar environments.     

Hydrochemical characteristics and evaluation of the granite aquifer in the Alwadeen area,southwest Saudi Arabia

This study was carried out in the Alwadeen area of Khamis Mushayt district of southwestern Saudi Arabia to evaluate the hydrochemical characteristics of the shallow hard rock aquifers. These hard rock aquifers mostly comprise granites and contain significant quantities of groundwater that complement the available groundwater from the unconsolidated alluvial sediments in the nearby wadis. The field investigation indicates two main fracture sets which intersect each other and are oriented in the west-northwest and east-west directions. The granitic rocks in the area are intruded by coarse-grained and quartz-rich monzogranite and pegmatite veins. Hydrogeologically, the fracture systems are important since they facilitate the groundwater storage and assume the transmissive function during times of groundwater abstraction. Given the fact that groundwater in the fractured rock aquifers generally occurs at shallow depths, it may be exposed to contamination from surface and/or near-surface sources, and it is therefore important to evaluate its quality. To this end, a hydrochemical analysis was carried out on six groundwater samples collected from the area. The hydrochemistry revealed that the groundwater is fairly fresh, and facies analysis reveals mixed Na-Cl and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO₄ types. Overall, the results reveal that the groundwater is saturated with calcite and dolomite, but unsaturated with gypsum and halite. The degree of salinity increases in the direction of the groundwater flow due to increased rock-water interaction.     

Hydrogeological research on intensively exploited deep aquifers in the ‘Loma de Úbeda’ area (Jaén, southern Spain)

The intensive use of groundwater for irrigation in the area of Úbeda (‘Loma de Úbeda’, Jaén, southern Spain) has transformed an area of traditionally rain-fed dry farmland into fields with some of the highest olive oil productivity in the world. Early hydrogeological research studies, initiated just after the beginning of the groundwater exploitation, revealed that the water was collected from three different overlapping aquifers occupying an area of over 1,100 km², with the lower aquifers located at depths from 300 to over 700 m in an area of 440 km². Multidisciplinary research, based on geological characterization, and piezometric, hydrochemical and isotopic data, has led to a conceptual model of functioning in this complex hydrogeological system. The proposed model allows for the identification of the recharge areas, and the discharge, which is at present mainly associated with the groundwater pumping. Areas of mixing of waters from the different aquifers and the main hydrogeochemical processes affecting groundwater quality are described.     

Integrated geophysical interpretation for the area located at the eastern part of Ismailia Canal, Greater Cairo, Egypt

The integrated geophysical interpretation for the different geophysical tools such as resistivity and gravity is usually used to define the structural elements, stratigraphic units, groundwater potentiality, and depth to the basement rocks. In the present work, gravity and resistivity data were utilized for detecting the groundwater aquifer and structural elements, as well as the upper and lower surfaces of the subsurface basaltic sheet in an area located at the eastern side of Ismailia Canal, northeastern Greater Cairo, Egypt. Two hundred and ten gravity stations were measured using an Autograv instrument through a grid pattern of 50?×?50 m. The different required corrections were carried out, such as drift, elevation, tide, and latitude corrections. The final corrected data represented by the Bouguer anomaly map were filtered using high- and low-pass filters into regional and residual gravity anomaly maps. The resulting residual gravity anomaly map was used for gravity modeling to calculate the depths to the upper and lower surfaces of the basaltic sheet. The resulting gravity models indicated that the depths to the upper surface of the basaltic sheet are ranged between 26 and 314 m, where the shallower depths were found around the southern and eastern parts. The depths to the lower surface of the basaltic sheet are varied from 86 to 338 m, and the thickness of the basaltic sheet is ranged from 24 to 127 m, where the biggest thicknesses were found around the southern and northern parts of the study area. Forty-two vertical electrical soundings (VES) were carried out using Schlumberger configuration with AB/2 spacings ranged from 1.5 to 500 m. 1D quantitative interpretation was carried out through manual and analytical interpretations. The VES data were also inverted assuming a 3D resistivity distribution. The results from the 3D resistivity inversion indicated that the subsurface section consists of sand, sandstone, and sandy–clays of Miocene deposits overlying the basalts. Such basaltic features (of Oligocene age) are underlain by Gabal Ahmar Formation of Oligocene deposits, which are composed of sand and sandstone. Therefore, two aquifers were deduced in the area. The first is the Miocene aquifer (shallower) and the other is the Oligocene aquifer (deeper).     

Neoproterozoic granites of Sharm El-Sheikh area,Egypt: mineralogical and thermobarometric variations

Calc-alkaline and alkaline intrusions of the late Neoproterozic form essential part of the Arabian–Nubian Shield. They were formed during the collision between East- and West-Gondwana. Sharm El-Sheikh area, Sinai, includes wide compositional array of these intrusions that can be considered as a case study. Variations in both tectonic and thermobarometric condition for granitic intrusions are studied. Four mappable granitic types are recognized namely monzogranite, syenogranite, alkali feldspar granites, and riebeckite-bearing granites. The monzogranite and the syenogranite of the study area are mostly I-type, whereas the alkali feldspar granite and the riebeckite-bearing granite belong to A-type granitoid. The calc-alkaline intrusions were formed in compressional setting due to decompressional melting of mafic lower crust. Partial melting and anatexing of crustal rocks are suggested to explain the protolith of the alkaline intrusions. The transition from the calc-alkaline magma to the alkaline one occurred as a result of the tectonic transition from compression regime to tectonic relaxation (extension setting) during the last stage of the Pan-African Orogeny. The amphiboles of the studied granites are classified as calcic- and alkali-amphiboles. The calcic-amphiboles are ferro-edenite while the alkali-amphiboles are typically riebeckite. Both amphibole types are of magmatic nature. Coexisting amphiboles and plagioclases are used to estimate the physicochemical parameters of magma crystallization. The syenogranite underwent temperature and pressure of formation range of 520–730 °C, <3 kbar. The alkali feldspar granite records 450–830 °C, <4 kbar, while the riebeckite-bearing granite records the lowest temperature condition among all varieties and estimate formation at 350–650 °C, <4 kbar.     

Perogenesis of granites, Sharm El-Sheikh area, South Sinai, Egypt: petrological constrains and tectonic evolution

Precambrian granites of the Sharm El-Sheikh area in south Sinai, Egypt belong to collisional and post-collisional Magmatism (610–580 Ma). The granites are widely distributed in the northern part of the Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian Shield. South Sinai includes important components of successive multiple stages of upper crust granitic rocks. The earliest stages include monzogranite and syenogranites while the later stages produced alkali feldspar granites and riebeckite-bearing granites. Numerous felsic, mafic dikes and quartz veins traverse the study granites. Petrographically, the granitic rocks consist mainly of perthite, plagioclase, quartz, biotite and riebeckite. Analysis results portray monzogranites displaying calc-alkaline characteristics and emplaced in island-arc tectonic settings, whereas the syenogranites, alkali-feldspar granites and the riebeckite bearing-granites exhibit an alkaline nature and are enriched in HFSEs similar to granites within an extensional regime. Multi-element variation diagrams and geochemical characteristics reinforce a post-collision tectonic setting. REEs geochemical modeling reveals that the rocks were generated as a result of partial melting and fractionation of lower crust basaltic magma giving rise to A₁ and A₂ subtype granites. They were subsequently emplaced within an intraplate environment at the end of the Pan-African Orogeny.     

Hydrogeophysical investigations on the Pleistocene aquifer,Kom Hamada area,West Nile Delta,Egypt

Hydrogeophysical investigations of the Pleistocene aquifer at the Kom Hamada area, Egypt, have been conducted to determine the characteristics of groundwater. The main water-bearing formations in the study area are composed of Quaternary deposits. Water samples were taken and chemically analyzed at 29 sites. The constructed iso-salinity contour map of the study area showed an increase in salinity from 451.75 mg/l at eastern parts to 1,091.85 mg/l at western parts. The groundwater of the study area showed a hydrochemical evolution from Ca–HCO₃ at the eastern side to Na–Cl at the western side. Some of groundwater constituents have high concentration values exceeding the safe limit for drinking. Eighteen vertical electrical soundings (VES) were conducted in the study area. These soundings were conducted near existing wells to obtain layer parameters of the various penetrated layers and to calculate the petrophysical characteristics of the aquifers. The resistivity of the first water-bearing layer ranges between 34 and 47 Ω m. The thickness of this layer ranges between 26 and 79 m. This layer represents the first aquifer, where it is followed by another water-bearing layer with resistivity ranges between 29 and 62 Ω m and extends downward. The two aquifers are hydraulically connected. Variation of the resistivities of these two water-bearing layers is mainly due to the lithological variation. The resistivity values along with the TDS values of the two water-bearing layers indicate fresh to brackish water types.     

A-type granites of crustal origin ultimately result from open-system fenitization-type reactions in an extensional environment

The origin of A-type granites and rhyolites are ultimately relatable to mantle-derived melts and fluids in a zone undergoing extension. The basaltic magmas are accompanied by an alkaline fluid phase, dominantly H₂O + CO₂, which will induce alkali metasomatism of the granulitic crust above. The distinctive mineralogy and geochemistry are thus a direct result of the tectonic environment of formation. Metaluminous and peralkaline granites are magmatic compositions that typically contain evidence of crust and mantle in their genetic baggage, but peraluminous A-type granites may well be caused by efficient loss of alkalis during epizonal degassing. A-type granites and rhyolites are members of a vast family of rift-related magmas that include those of syenitic, nepheline syenitic and carbonatitic character. The fluid phase at work is alkaline. It can carry a host of trace elements in solution, in particular the high-field-strength elements and the rare earths. It can fenitize and fertilize a refractory lower crust, and prepare the precursor for near-complete melting. Some examples of A-type granitic magma do arise by efficient fractional crystallization of a mantle-derived basaltic magma, with or without accompanying assimilation, but many arise by partial or complete melting of an alkali-metasomatized crust.     

塔里木盆地南缘绿洲带地下水砷氟碘分布及共富集成因

由于地表水资源稀缺,地下水是塔里木盆地南缘绿洲带重要用水水源,因此,系统查明该区地下水砷氟碘的分布及成因至关重要。基于塔里木盆地南缘绿洲带233组地下水水样检测结果,分析不同含水层中高砷、高氟和高碘地下水的空间分布及水化学特征,结合研究区地质、水文地质条件和地下水赋存环境进一步揭示影响地下水砷氟碘的来源、迁移与富集的水文地球化学过程。结果表明:地下水砷、氟、碘浓度变化范围分别为1.091.2 μg/L、0.0128.31 mg/L、10.02 637.0 μg/L。地下水高砷、高氟和高碘水样分别占总水样的7.3%、47.2%和11.6%,砷氟碘共富集占比为3.0%。砷氟碘共富集地下水主要分布于研究区中部的民丰县,水化学类型主要为Cl·SO₄-Na型。自补给区至过渡区再至蒸发区,地下水氟、碘浓度明显增大,砷浓度在过渡区和蒸发区均较大;砷氟碘共富集地下水取样点主要分布于36.060.0 m深度的浅层承压含水层中。浅层地下水受蒸发作用和矿物溶解沉淀作用的影响,随砷氟碘富集项的增多而增大。第四纪成因类型中风积物对氟浓度的影响较大,洪积-湖积物对砷和碘浓度的影响较大。细粒岩性、平缓的地形、地下水浅埋条件、偏碱性的地下水环境、微生物降解作用下有机质介导的矿物溶解是利于砷氟碘共富集的主要机制。     

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of post-collisional alkaline and peralkaline granites of the Arabian-Nubian Shield: a case study from the southern tip of Sinai Peninsula,Egypt

The southern Sinai Peninsula, underlain by the northernmost extension of the Arabian-Nubian Shield, exposes post-collisional calc-alkaline and alkaline granites that represent the youngest phase of late Neoproterozoic igneous activity. We report a petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical investigation of post-collisional plutons of alkaline and, in some cases, peralkaline granite. These granites intrude metamorphosed country rocks as well as syn- and post-collisional calc-alkaline granitoids. The alkaline and peralkaline granites of the southern tip of Sinai divide into three subgroups: syenogranite, alkali feldspar granite and riebeckite granite. The rocks of these subgroups essentially consist of alkali feldspar and quartz with variable amounts of plagioclase and mafic minerals. The syenogranite and alkali feldspar granite contain small amounts of calcic amphibole and biotite, often less than 3%, while the riebeckite granite is distinguished by sodic amphibole (5–10%). These plutons have geochemical signatures typical of post-collisional A-type granites and were most likely emplaced during a transition between orogenic and anorogenic settings. The parental mafic magma may be linked to lithospheric delamination and upwelling of asthenospheric mantle material. Differentiation of the underplated basaltic magma with contributions from the juvenile crust eventually yielded the post-collisional alkaline granites. Petrogenetic modelling of the studied granitic suite shows that pure fractional crystallization cannot quantitatively explain chemical variations with the observed suite, with both major oxides and several trace elements displaying trends opposite to those required by the equilibrium phase assemblage. Instead, we show that compositional variation from syenogranite through alkali feldspar granite to riebeckite granite is dominated by mixing between a low-SiO₂ liquid as primitive or more primitive than the lowest-SiO₂ syenogranite and an evolved, high-SiO₂ liquid that might be a high-degree partial melt of lower crust.     

A groundwater flow model for overexploited basaltic aquifer and Bazada formation in India

Recent changes in land use practices, such as increase in orange orchards in central India, has put undue pressure on the groundwater resources. Excess withdrawal from the aquifers has resulted in groundwater table decline. The stage of groundwater development in some watersheds has reached 155.85 %, converting these into overexploited watersheds. In the present research paper, a groundwater flow model has been developed to evaluate the groundwater system in a basaltic terrain with Bazada formation. A conceptual model has been developed and calibrated for steady and transient states and the sensitivity analysis was carried out. Future predictions, for current scenario where present practices are continued and for scenario with 20 % reduction in groundwater draft have been made, to select the best strategy for mitigating the problem. The modeling results show that the decline in groundwater level in basaltic and Bazada unconfined aquifers will result into drying up (water level more than 15 m bgl) of 243 km² area by 2020. To restore the groundwater level, it is simulated that the groundwater draft rate must be reduced by 20 % for next 10 years. It may be achieved by adopting groundwater management strategies, particularly for irrigation sector.     

萨瓦甫齐铀矿床岩石浸出液水化学对古流体的指示作用

萨瓦甫齐铀矿床位于新疆维吾尔自治区阿克苏地区。新构造运动使盆地盖层变得陡直甚至倒转,承压含水层中的地下水不断被疏干,现今在垂深475 m以上已无地下水活动,铀矿体主要残留在古层间氧化还原过渡带中。根据水-岩相互作用的原理,试图通过研究岩样浸出液的水化学来获取古地下流体的一些基本特征。     

Phreatomagmatic boulder conglomerates at the tip of the ca 2772 Ma Black Range dolerite dyke,Pilbara Craton,Western Australia

Unusual volcanic conglomerates with a mixture of well-rounded granitic boulders (to 1.2 m diameter) derived from adjacent basement rocks, and smaller (1 – 10 cm) subspherical basaltic droplets with chilled margins occupy a linear zone along strike of the northern end of the Late Archaean Black Range dolerite dyke in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia. The matrix of the volcanic conglomerates becomes more angular with decreasing grainsize and grades to rock flour, a trend opposite to that in sedimentary conglomerates. In other places, the matrix consists of chlorite that cuts through, and resorbs, granitic clasts, indicating an origin as volcanic melt. The volcanic conglomerates have peperitic contacts with immediately adjacent flows of the Mt Roe Basalt of the Fortescue Group. A welded volcanic tuff at the peperitic contact is dated at 2767 ± 3 Ma, within error of the 2772 ± 2 Ma Black Range dolerite dyke and the Mt Roe Basalt (2775 ± 10 Ma), confirming the contemporaneity of formation of these geological elements. Subsequent normal faulting has juxtaposed the higher level conglomerates down into their present exposure level along strike of the Black Range dolerite dyke. The linear zone of volcanic conglomerates is interpreted to represent a phreatomagmatic pebble dyke that formed immediately above, and as a result of intrusion of, the Black Range dolerite dyke. Interaction of magma with groundwater caused phreatomagmatic brecciation of the country rock, in situ milling of granitic boulders, incorporation of basaltic melt droplets, and the formation of a mixed matrix of devitrified volcanic glass and granitic material. This process was accompanied by along-strike epithermal Cu – Hg – Au mineralisation.     

Constraining flow paths of saline groundwater at basin margins using hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes: Lake Cooper,Murray Basin,Australia

Solutes in saline groundwater (total dissolved solids up to 37 000 mg/L) in the Lake Cooper region in the southern margin of the Riverine Province of the Murray Basin are derived by evapotranspiration of rainfall with minor silicate, carbonate and halite dissolution. The distribution of hydraulic heads, salinity, percentage modern carbon (pmc) contents, and Cl/Br ratios imply that the groundwater system is complex with vertical flow superimposed on lateral flow away from the basin margins. Similarities in major ion composition, stable (O, H, and C) isotope, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios between groundwater from the shallower Shepparton Formation and the deeper Calivil – Renmark aquifer also imply that these aquifers are hydraulically interconnected. Groundwater in the deeper Calivil – Renmark aquifer in the Lake Cooper region has residence times of up to 25 000 years, implying that pre-land-clearing recharge rates were <1 mm/y. As in other regions of the Murray Basin, the low recharge rates account for the occurrence of high-salinity groundwater. Shallow (<20 m) groundwater yields exclusively modern ¹⁴C ages and shows a greater influence of evaporation over transpiration. Both these observations reflect the rise of the regional water-table following land clearing over the last 200 years and a subsequent increase in recharge to 10 – 20 mm/y. The rise of the regional water-table also has increased vertical and horizontal hydraulic gradients that may ultimately lead to the export of salt from the Lake Cooper embayment into the adjacent fresher groundwater resources.     

Fractures, convection and underpressure: hydrogeology on the southern margin of the Piceance basin, west-central Colorado, USA

Grand Mesa is an erosional remnant on the southern margin of the Piceance basin (Colorado, USA) that appears to host topographically driven groundwater flow in low permeability strata via a pervasive network of vertical extensional fractures. The vertical fractures cut more than 1 km of clay-rich lithology ranging in age from Upper Cretaceous through Eocene, and likely formed from horizontal dilation, cooling, and erosional unloading associated with 2.8 km of regional uplift and 1.5 km of incision by the Gunnison and Colorado rivers. The vertical fractures create anisotropy in which vertical permeability exceeds horizontal permeability. This enhances vertical flow and depth of penetration of groundwater, favors local flow regimes over regional flow, and results in groundwater temperatures that are elevated by up to 10°C over mean surface temperatures at the location of springs. The uplift and cooling that formed the fractures may also have produced domains of abnormally underpressured pore fluids and natural gas within blocks of low permeability bedrock bounded by the fractures. Pore pressures inside these blocks may be in disequilibrium with the groundwater flow system due to ongoing stress release, and the long time scales required for pressure equilibration in the low permeability strata.     

Hydrochemical and isotopic study of groundwater in the Yinchuan plain, China

The Yinchuan plain is located in the arid climate zone of NW China. The western margin of the plain is the Helan mountain connecting a series of normal slip faults. The eastern margin of the plain connects with the Yellow River and adjacents with the Ordos platform. The south of the plain is bordered by the EN fault of the Niushou mountain. The bottom of the plain is the Carboniferous, Permian, or Ordovician rocks. Based on the analysis of groundwater hydrochemical and isotopic indicators, this study aims to identify the groundwater recharge and discharge in the Yinchuan plain, China. The hydrochemical types of the groundwater are HCO₃–SO₄ in the west, HCO₃–Cl in the middle, and Cl–SO₄ in the east. The hydrochemical types are HCO₃–SO₄ in the south, HCO₃–Cl and SO₄–HCO₃ in the middle. The hydrochemical types are complex in the north, mainly SO₄–HCO₃ and Cl–SO₄. Deuterium, ¹⁸O, and tritium values of groundwater indicate that groundwater recharge sources include precipitation, bedrock fissure water, and irrigation return water. Groundwater discharges include evaporation, abstraction, and discharge to surface water. According to the EW isotopic profile, the groundwater flow system (GFS) in the Yinchuan plain can be divided into local flow systems (LFS) and regional flow systems (RFS). Groundwater has lower TDS and higher tritium in the southern Yellow River alluvial plain and groundwater age ranges from 6 to 25 years. The range of groundwater renewal rates is from 11 to 15 % a^?1. The depth of the water cycle is small, and groundwater circulates fast and has high renewal rates. Groundwater has higher TDS and lower tritium in the northern Yellow River alluvial plain. The range of groundwater age is from 45 to 57 years, and renewal rate is from 6 to 0.1 % a^?1. The depth of the water cycle is larger. Groundwater circulates slowly and has low renewal rates.     

Neotectonic and volcanic characteristics of the Karasu fault zone (Anatolia,Turkey): The transition zone between the Dead Sea transform and the East Anatolian fault zone

The Karasu Rift (Antakya province, SE Turkey) has developed between east-dipping, NNE-striking faults of the Karasu fault zone, which define the western margin of the rift and west-dipping, N–S to N20°–30°E-striking faults of Dead Sea Transform fault zone (DST) in the central part and eastern margin of the rift. The strand of the Karasu fault zone that bounds the basin from west forms a linkage zone between the DST and the East Anatolian fault zone (EAFZ). The greater vertical offset on the western margin faults relative to the eastern ones indicates asymmetrical evolution of the rift as implied by the higher escarpments and accumulation of extensive, thick alluvial fans on the western margins of the rift. The thickness of the Quaternary sedimentary fill is more than 465 m, with clastic sediments intercalated with basaltic lavas. The Quaternary alkali basaltic volcanism accompanied fluvial to lacustrine sedimentation between 1.57 ± 0.08 and 0.05 ± 0.03 Ma. The faults are left-lateral oblique-slip faults as indicated by left-stepping faulting patterns, slip-lineation data and left-laterally offset lava flows and stream channels along the Karasu fault zone. At Hacılar village, an offset lava flow, dated to 0.08 ± 0.06 Ma, indicates a rate of left-lateral oblique slip of approximately 4.1 mm·year^–1. Overall, the Karasu Rift is an asymmetrical transtensional basin, which has developed between seismically active splays of the left-lateral DST and the left-lateral oblique-slip Karasu fault zone during the neotectonic period.     

Geological and geophysical exploration of the groundwater aquifers of As Suqah area, Makkah district, Western Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia

As Suqah area is a NW–SE trending wadi present in the west central part of the Arabian Shield. It comprises Precambrian–Cambrian basement rocks, Cretaceous–Tertiary sedimentary succession, Tertiary–Quaternary basaltic lava flows, and Quaternary–Recent alluvial deposits. The magnetic anomalies indicated the presence of many recent local buried faults. These affected the distribution of the clastic sedimentary succession and seem to have controlled the deep groundwater aquifers. Groundwater movement is towards the west and northwest, following in general the surface drainage system. Hydraulic gradient varies greatly from one point to another depending on the pumping rates and cross-sectional area of the aquifer in addition to its transmissivity. The detailed results of the resistivity and seismic measurements were integrated with those obtained from test holes drilled in the study area. Groundwater occurs mainly in two water-bearing horizons, the alluvial deposits and within the clastic sedimentary rocks of Haddat Ash Sham and Ash Shumaysi formations. The shallow zone is characterized with a saturated thickness of 3–20 m and water is found under confined to semi-confined conditions. Water levels were encountered at depths varying from 3 to 16 m in the alluvial wadi deposits and from 18 to 62 m in the sedimentary succession. The combinations of vertical electrical sounding, horizontal electrical profiling, and drilling led to the identification of groundwater resources in the study area. Resistivity soundings clearly identified the nature of the lithological depth and proved useful at identifying water-bearing zones. Significantly, the majority of the groundwater was found within the deep confined aquifer gravelly sandstone, rather than in the shallow unconfined aquifer.