Interpretation of tracer tests performed in fractured rock of the Lange Bramke basin, Germany

 Two multitracer tests performed in one of the major cross-fault zones of the Lange Bramke basin (Harz Mountains, Germany) confirm the dominant role of the fault zone in groundwater flow and solute transport. Tracers having different coefficients of molecular diffusion (deuterium, bromide, uranine, and eosine) yielded breakthrough curves that can only be explained by a model that couples the advective–dispersive transport in the fractures with the molecular diffusion exchange in the matrix. For the scale of the tests (maximum distance of 225 m), an approximation was used in which the influence of adjacent fractures is neglected. That model yielded nearly the same rock and transport parameters for each tracer, which means that the single-fracture approximation is acceptable and that matrix diffusion plays an important role. The hydraulic conductivity of the fault zone obtained from the tracer tests is about 1.5×10^–2 m/s, whereas the regional hydraulic conductivity of the fractured rock mass is about 3×10^–7 m/s, as estimated from the tritium age and the matrix porosity of about 2%. These values show that the hydraulic conductivity along the fault is several orders of magnitude larger than that of the remaining fractured part of the aquifer, which confirms the dominant role of the fault zones as collectors of water and conductors of fast flow. Received, April 1997 Revised, January 1998, August 1998 Accepted, August 1998     

CO2-rich thermomineral groundwater in the Betic Cordilleras, southeastern Spain: Genesis and tectonic implications

The CO₂-rich thermal groundwater in the Betic Cordilleras in Spain has been studied with regard to the geological and hydrogeological setting, physical and chemical characteristics, and ¹³C-isotope content. The study area is about 60 km northeast of Almería city, in southeastern Spain. The thermomineral waters are plentiful and are related to regional geothermal anomalies. Temperatures of 20 −41°C, high bicarbonate concentrations (183–1824 mg/L), and high amounts of PCO₂ (<1.1 bar) characterize the groundwater. CO₂ spatial variations are related to proximity to the Carboneras, Palomares, and Guadalentín fault systems, which may be the surface representation of the zone of crustal thinning and magmatism. δ ¹³C values probably indicate a deep source for the CO₂, either the mantle or perhaps carbonate rocks in the metamorphic substratum. The high amount of CO₂ in the groundwater causes problems in wells and severely restricts water usage. The hydrothermal features of this area are probably related to neotectonic activity. Received, September 1998/Revised, June 1999, September 1999/Accepted, December 1999     

Isotopic geochemistry of the groundwater system in arid and semiarid areas and its significance: a case study in Shiyang River basin, Gansu province, northwest China

 Shiyang River basin, located in the eastern part of Hexi Corridor in the middle Gansu province, NW China, is a typical arid to semiarid area. Within its drainage distance of merely 300 km, the groundwater system shows a gradual hydrochemical zonation from the upper reach to the lower reach, which is composed of hydrocarbonate, sulfate to chloride zones respectively. Variation in the saturation index (SI) of calcite and dolomite shows that, under arid to semiarid conditions, the drastic evaporation causes the groundwater quality to deteriorate in the lower reach. Isotopic compositions of H, O and He in the groundwater show that the groundwater recharge sources are mainly from meteoric water. δ³He–³He/²⁰Ne coordinates could clearly distinguish the water sources and mixing among them. In the Caiqi region, there is apparent mixing of the crevice water containing excess ⁴He with the overlying groundwater, which also implies a much lower circulation rate of the groundwater. Fairly high ³He/⁴He ratios of the groundwaters collected from the adjacent area of hidden faults along Qilian Mountains show the eminent input of mantle-derived helium, indicating that these faults not only cut the crust deeply, but are currently active. Received: 11 February 2000 · Accepted: 23 May 2000     

Assessment of recharge to groundwater systems in the arid southwestern part of Northern Territory, Australia, using chlorine-36

 The sustainability of community water supplies drawn from shallow aquifers in the arid southwest of the Northern Territory has been evaluated using the radioactive isotope chlorine-36 (³⁶Cl). These aquifers include fractured sandstones of the Ngalia Basin, fractured metamorphic rocks and Cainozoic sands and gravels. ³⁶Cl/Cl ratios for these shallow, regional groundwaters exhibit a bimodal distribution with peaks at 205 (±7) and 170 (±7)×10^–15. The higher ratio probably represents modern (Holocene) recharge, diluted with windblown salts from local playa lakes, and occurs mostly around the margin of the basin. The lower ratio corresponds to a ³⁶Cl "age", or mean residence time, of 80–100 ka, implying that the last major recharge occurred during the last interglacial interval (Oxygen Isotope Stage 5). These values are mainly observed in the interior of the Ngalia Basin. Lower values of the ³⁶Cl/Cl ratio measured near playa lakes are affected by addition of chloride from remobilised salts. Finite carbon-14 (¹⁴C) data for the groundwaters are at variance with the ³⁶Cl results, but a depth profile suggests low recharge, allowing diffusion of recent atmospheric carbon to the water table. The ³⁶Cl results have important implications for groundwater management in this region, with substantial recharge only occurring during favourable, wet, interglacial climatic regimes; most community water supplies are dependent on these "old" waters. Received, September 1997 · Revised, August 1998, March 1999 · Accepted, March 1999     

Environmental isotopic and hydrochemical study of groundwater in the Ejina Basin,northwest China

The study investigates the groundwater evolution and its residence time in the Ejina Basin, northwest China according to isotope and hydrochemical analyses results. The groundwater chemistry is mainly controlled by the dissolution of halite, Glauber’s salt, gypsum, dolomite and calcite, also influenced by other processes such as evaporation, ion exchange, and deposition. Based on tritium content in atmospheric precipitation and by adopting a model with exponential time distribution function, the mean residence time of the unconfined aquifer groundwater with fairly high tritium activities (21–49 TU) is evaluated. The results show that these groundwaters have low residence time (5–120 years) and are renewable. In contrast, the deep confined groundwaters are tritium-free and radiocarbon values range from 18.3 to 26.7 pmc. According to the most commonly used ¹⁴C correction models, the radiocarbon groundwater ages were calculated which yield ages of approximately 4,087–9,364 years BP. Isotopic signatures indicate formation of deep confined groundwaters in a colder and wetter climate during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. It is suggested that long-term, rational water usage guide should be set up for the Heihe River Basin as a whole to permit a considerable discharge to the Ejina Basin.     

Alternative water resources in granitic rock: a case study from Kinmen Island,Taiwan

Kinmen Island is a small, tectonically stable, granitic island that has been suffering from a scarcity of fresh water resources due to excessive annual evapotranspiration over annual precipitation. Recent studies further indicate that shallow (0–70 m) sedimentary aquifers, the major sources of groundwater supply, have already been over-exploited. Therefore, this preliminary study is to investigate the existence of exploitable water resources that can balance the shortage of fresh water on this island. Site characterization data are obtained from island-wide geophysical surveys as well as small-scale tests performed in a study area formed by three deep (maximum depth to 560 m) vertical boreholes installed in mid-east Kinmen northeast to Taiwu Mountain. Vertical fracture frequency data indicate that the rock body is fractured with a spatially correlated pattern, from which three major fracture zones (depths 0–70, 330–360, and below 450 m) can be identified. Geologic investigations indicate that the deepest fracture zone is caused by the large-scale, steeply dipping Taiwushan fault. This fault may have caused a laterally extensive low-resistivity zone, a potential fractured aquifer, near Taiwu Mountain. The middle fracture zone is induced by the Taiwushan fault and intersects the fault approximately 21 m southeast of the study area below a depth of 350 m. Slug testing results yield fracture transmissivity varying from 4.8 × 10⁻⁷ to 2.2 × 10⁻⁴ m²/s. Cross-hole tests have confirmed that hydraulic connectivity of the deeper rock body is controlled by the Taiwushan fault and the middle fracture zone. This connectivity may extend vertically to the sedimentary aquifers through high-angle joint sets. Despite the presence of a flow barrier formed by doleritic dike at about 300 m depth, the existence of fresh as well as meteoric water in the deeper rock body manifests that certain flow paths must exist through which the deeper fractured aquifers can be connected to the upper rock body. Therefore, groundwater stored within the Taiwushan fault and the associated low-resistivity zone can be considered as additional fresh water resources for future exploitation.     

Hydrogeochemistry,groundwater ages and sources of salts in a granitic batholith on the Canadian Shield,southeastern Manitoba

The hydrogeochemistry of the Lac du Bonnet granitic batholith has been determined for the region of the Whiteshell Research Area (WRA) in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. This work forms part of the geosciences studies performed for the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program over the period 1980–1995 by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). Knowledge of the variation of groundwater chemistry and its causes is useful in assessing the performance and safety of a nuclear fuel waste vault located at depths of up to 1000 m in a crystalline rock formation of the Canadian Shield. Groundwaters and matrix pore fluids have been obtained by standard sampling methods from shallow piezometers in clay-rich overburden, from packer-isolated borehole zones intersecting fractures or fault zones in the bedrock, and from boreholes in unfractured rock in AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL). Eighty-six individual fracture groundwaters have been sampled and analysed from permeable zones in 53 boreholes drilled to depths of up to 1000 m in the Lac du Bonnet batholith. In addition, 28 groundwaters from piezometers in a large wetland area near the URL have been sampled and analysed to determine the influence of clay-rich overburden on the bedrock hydrogeochemistry. Analyses have been made for major and minor ions, pH, Eh, trace metals, and stable and radioactive isotopes, to characterise these groundwaters and relate them to their hydrogeologic regimes. Shallow groundwaters in the fractured bedrock are generally dilute (TDS <0.3 g/l), Ca–Na–HCO₃ waters and show little indication of mixing with Ca–Mg–HCO₃–SO₄ groundwater from overburden sediments. The near-modern levels of ³H and ¹⁴C, and a warm-climate ²H/¹⁸O signature in these groundwaters, indicates that the upper ∼200 m of fractured bedrock contains an active groundwater circulation system with a residence time of tens to hundreds of years. Deeper fracture groundwaters (200–400 m depth) in recharge areas, are more alkaline, Na–Ca–HCO₃ waters and evolve to Na–Ca–HCO₃–Cl–SO₄ waters with increasing distance along the flow path. Isotopic data indicate the presence of a glacial melt-water component suggesting that the residence times of these waters are 10³–10⁵ a. These waters form a transition zone between the upper, advective flow regime and a deeper regime in sparsely fractured rock where groundwater in fractures and fracture zones is largely stagnant. At these depths (> 500 m), Na–Ca–Cl–SO₄ waters of increasing salinity (up to 50 g/l) with depth are found and in some fractures the waters have evolved to a Ca–Na–Cl composition. Isotopic data indicate that these waters are warm-climate and pre-glacial in origin, with residence times of over 1 Ma. Pore fluids observed to drain from the unfractured rock matrix in the URL facility are almost pure Ca–Cl in composition, ∼90 g/l salinity, and have a ²H/¹⁸O composition displaced well to the left of the global meteoric water line, about which all other WRA groundwaters lie. This information indicates that these pore fluids have undergone prolonged water-rock interaction and have residence times of 10¹–10³ Ma. Most of the deeper fracture groundwaters and pore fluids have low Br/Cl ratios and moderate to high δ³⁴S values of dissolved SO₄ which indicates that their salinity could be derived from a marine source such as the basinal sedimentary brines and evaporites to the west of the batholith. These fluids may have entered the batholith during early Paleozoic times when sedimentary rocks were deposited over the granite and were driven by a hydraulic gradient resulting from higher ground in western Canada. The hydrogeochemical data and interpretations show that below ∼500 m in the WRA, fracture-hosted groundwaters are very saline, reducing and old, and are, therefore, indicative of stagnant conditions over the period of concern for nuclear waste disposal (1 Ma). The intact rock matrix at these depths is extremely impermeable as indicated by the presence of pore fluids with unusual geochemical and isotopic characteristics. The pore fluids may represent basinal brines that have evolved geochemically and isotopically to their current composition over periods as long as 10³ Ma.     

Determining Spatial and Temporal Inputs of Freshwater,Including Submarine Groundwater Discharge,to a Subtropical Estuary Using Geochemical Tracers,Biscayne Bay,South Florida

Geochemical mixing models were used to decipher the dominant source of freshwater (rainfall, canal discharge, or groundwater discharge) to Biscayne Bay, an estuary in south Florida. Discrete samples of precipitation, canal water, groundwater, and bay surface water were collected monthly for 2 years and analyzed for salinity, stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, and Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ concentrations. These geochemical tracers were used in three separate mixing models and then combined to trace the magnitude and timing of the freshwater inputs to the estuary. Fresh groundwater had an isotopic signature (δ ¹⁸O = −2.66‰, δD −7.60‰) similar to rainfall (δ ¹⁸O = −2.86‰, δD = −4.78‰). Canal water had a heavy isotopic signature (δ ¹⁸O = −0.46‰, δD = −2.48‰) due to evaporation. This made it possible to use stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen to separate canal water from precipitation and groundwater as a source of freshwater into the bay. A second model using Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios was developed to discern fresh groundwater inputs from precipitation inputs. Groundwater had a Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratio of 0.07, while precipitation had a dissimilar ratio of 0.89. When combined, these models showed a freshwater input ratio of canal/precipitation/groundwater of 37%:53%:10% in the wet season and 40%:55%:5% in the dry season with an error of ±25%. For a bay-wide water budget that includes saltwater and freshwater mixing, fresh groundwater accounts for 1–2% of the total fresh and saline water input.     

Hydrogeochemical genesis of groundwaters with abnormal fluoride concentrations from Zhongxiang City,Hubei Province,central China

The groundwaters from Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province of central China, have high fluoride concentration up to 3.67 mg/L, and cases of dental fluorosis have been found in this region. To delineate the nature and extent of high fluoride groundwaters and to assess the major geochemical factors controlling the fluoride enrichment in groundwater, 14 groundwater samples and 5 Quaternary sediment samples were collected and their chemistry were determined in this study. Some water samples from fissured hard rock aquifers and Quaternary aquifers have high fluoride concentrations, whereas all karst water samples contain fluoride less than 1.5 mg/L due to their high Ca/Na ratios. For the high fluoride groundwaters in the fissured hard rocks, high HCO₃ ⁻ concentration and alkaline condition favor dissolution of fluorite and anion exchange between OH⁻ in groundwater and exchangeable F⁻ in some fluoride-bearing minerals. For fluoride enrichment in groundwaters of Quaternary aquifers, high contents of fluoride in the aquifer sediments and evapotranspiration are important controls.     

The influence of marine inflows on the chemical composition of groundwater in small islands: the example of the Cyclades (Greece)

 Marine contamination of groundwater may be caused by seawater intrusion and by salt spray. The role of both processes was studied in the Cyclades archipelago on four small islands (45–195 km²) whose aquifers consist essentially of fractured, weathered metamorphic rocks. Annual rainfall ranges from 400 to 650 mm and precipitation has high total dissolved solids contents of 45–223 mg l^–1. The chemical characteristics of the groundwater, whose salinity is from 0.4 to 22 g l^–1, are strongly influenced by seawater intrusion. However, the effect of atmospheric input is shown in certain water sampling locations on high ground elevation where the dissolved chloride contents may attain 200 mg l^–1. Received: 14 November 1995 · Accepted: 9 September 1996     

The impact of paleo-channel on groundwater contamination,Andhra Pradesh,India

 Nakka vagu, a tributary of the River Manjira in the Medak district of Andhra Pradesh, has a catchment area of ∼500 km². Patancheru is an industrial development area (IDA) near the vagu. There are about 350 industries of varied nature (pulp, plastic, bulk drugs, pharmaceuticals, paints and steel rolling mills) that are engaged in the manufacture/processing of their respective products and that use water extensively. The hydrogeological setup has a bearing on the widespread contamination in the area because of discharge of industrial effluents into open land and streams. Several dug wells and boreholes situated in the study area have been monitored for water level fluctuations and quality variations. Pumping tests have been conducted to evaluate aquifer parameters. The geology, drainage, chemistry and other related anthropogenic factors play a major role in the spread of pollution in the area. Hence, it is very important to determine the degree of vulnerability to pollution based on hydrogeological factors. Amidst the granite terrain, the Nakka vagu has been identified as a paleo-channel (composed of clay–silt–sand facies); its presence in the area has immensely increased the spread of groundwater contamination. The transmissivity of the alluvial aquifer varies from 750 to 1315 m²/day. The adjoining granite has a transmissivity that varies from 30–430 m²/day. The thickness of the valley fill in the discharge region is about 10–12 m, with a lateral spread of 500–700 m, east of Nakka vagu. Received: 17 November 1999 · Accepted: 14 March 2000     

Hydrochemical and isotopic evidence of recharge,apparent age,and flow direction of groundwater in Mayo Tsanaga River Basin,Cameroon: bearings on contamination

Unplanned exploitation of groundwater constitutes emerging water-related threats to MayoTsanaga River Basin. Shallow groundwater from crystalline and detrital sediment aquifers, together with rain, dams, springs, and rivers were chemically and isotopically investigated to appraise its evolution, recharge source and mechanisms, flow direction, and age which were used to evaluate the groundwater susceptibility to contamination and the basin’s stage of salinization. The groundwater which is Ca–Na–HCO₃ type is a chemically evolved equivalent of surface waters and rain water with Ca–Mg–Cl–SO₄ chemistry. The monsoon rain recharged the groundwater preferentially at an average rate of 74 mm/year, while surface waters recharge upon evaporation. Altitude effect of rain and springs show a similar variation of −0.4‰ for δ¹⁸O/100 m, but the springs which were recharged at 452, 679, and 773 m asl show enrichment of δ¹⁸O through evaporation by 0.8‰ corresponding to 3% of water loss during recharge. The groundwater which shows both local and regional flow regimes gets older towards the basins` margin with coeval enrichment in F⁻ and depletion in NO₃ ⁻. Incidentally, younger groundwaters are susceptible to anthropogenic contamination and older groundwaters are sinks of lithologenic fluoride. The basins salinization is still at an early stage.     

Sustainable groundwater resources, Heretaunga Plains, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

 The Heretaunga Plains, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, is underlain by Quaternary fluvial, estuarine-lagoonal, and marine deposits infilling a subsiding syncline. Within the depositional sequence, river-channel gravels form one of the most important aquifer systems in New Zealand. An interconnected unconfined–confined aquifer system contains groundwater recharged from the Ngaruroro River bed at the inland margin of the plain, 20 km from the coast. At the coast, gravel aquifers extend to a depth of 250 m. In 1994–95, 66 Mm³ of high quality groundwater was abstracted for city and rural water supply, agriculture, industry, and horticulture. Use of groundwater, particularly for irrigation, has increased in the last 5 years. Concern as to the sustainability of the groundwater resource led to a research programme (1991–96). This paper presents the results and recommends specific monitoring and research work to refine the groundwater balance, and define and maintain the sustainable yield of the aquifer system. Three critical management factors are identified. These are (1) to ensure maintenance of consistent, unimpeded groundwater recharge from the Ngaruroro River; (2) to specifically monitor groundwater levels and quality at the margins of the aquifer system, where transmissivity is <5000 m²/d and summer groundwater levels indicate that abstraction exceeds recharge; (3) to review groundwater-quality programs to ensure that areas where contamination vulnerability is identified as being highest are covered by regular monitoring. Received, January 1998 / Revised, August 1998, March 1999 / Accepted, April 1999     

Groundwater flow system in Bengal Delta,Bangladesh revealed by environmental isotopes

A total number of 328 groundwater samples are analysed to evaluate the groundwater flow systems in Bengal Delta aquifers, Bangladesh using environmental isotope (²H, ¹⁸O, ¹³C, ³H, and ¹⁴C) techniques. A well-defined Local Meteoric Water Line (LMWL) δ²H = 7.7 δ¹⁸O + 10.7 ‰ is constructed applying linear correlation analyses to the monthly weighted rainfall isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸O and δ²H). The δ¹⁸O and δ²H concentrations of all groundwater samples in the study area are plotted more or less over the LMWL, which provides compelling evidence that all groundwaters are derived from rainfall and floodwater with a minor localized evaporation effects for the shallow groundwaters. Tritium concentration is observed in 40 samples out of 41 with values varying between 0.3 and 5.0 TU, which represents an evidence of young water recharge to the shallow and intermediate aquifers. A decreasing trend of ¹⁴C activity is associated with the heavier δ¹³C values, which indicates the presence of geochemical reactions affecting the ¹⁴C concentration along the groundwater flow system. Both vertical and lateral decrease of ¹⁴C activity toward down gradient show the presence of regional groundwater flow commencing from the unconfined aquifers, which discharges along the coastal regions. Finally, shallow, intermediate, and deep groundwater flow dynamics has revealed in the Bengal Delta aquifers, Bangladesh.     

The influence of Zihe Stream on the groundwater resources of the Dawu well field and on the discharge at the Heiwang iron mine, Zibo City area, Shandong Province, China

 The Dawu well field, one of the largest in China, supplies most of the water for the Zibo City urban area in Shandong Province. The field yields 522,400–535,400 m³/d from an aquifer in fractured karstic Middle Ordovician carbonate rocks. Much of the recharge to the aquifer is leakage of surface water from Zihe Stream, the major drainage in the area. Installation of the Taihe Reservoir in 1972 severely reduced the downstream flow in Zihe Stream, resulting in a marked reduction in the water table in the Dawu field. Since 1994, following the installation of a recharge station on Zihe Stream upstream from the well field that injects water from the Taihe Reservoir into the stream, the groundwater resources of the field have recovered. An average of 61.2×10³ m³/d of groundwater, mostly from the Ordovician aquifer, is pumped from the Heiwang iron mine, an open pit in the bed of Zihe Stream below the Taihe Reservoir. A stepwise regression equation, used to evaluate the role of discharge from the reservoir into the stream, confirms that reservoir water is one of the major sources of groundwater in the mine. Received, May 1998 / Revised, May 1999 / Accepted, June 1999     

The groundwater resources and sustainable yield of Cheju volcanic island, Korea

 Hydrogeologic data of 455 water wells comprising geologic logs, water qualities, and aquifer test results are analyzed to determine hydrogeological characteristics, water quality, and sustainable yield of the groundwater resources of Cheju volcanic island. The groundwater of the island occurs in unconsolidated pyroclastic deposits and clinkers interbedded in highly jointed basaltic and andesitic rocks as high-level, basal, and parabasal groundwater under unconfined conditions. The total storage of groundwater is estimated at about 44 billion m³. The average transmissivity and specific yield of the aquifer are at about 0.34 m² s^–1(29300 m² day^–1) and 0.12, respectively. The average annual precipitation is about 3.39 billion m³, of which 1.49 billion m³– equivalent to 44.0% of the total annual precipitation – is recharged into aquifers, with 0.638 billion m³ year^–1 of runoff and 1.26 billion m³ year^–1 of evapotranspiration. Based on a groundwater budget analysis, the sustainable yield is estimated at about 0.62 billion m³ year^–1, equivalent to 41.6% of annual recharge. A low-permeability marine sedimentary formation (Sehwari formation), composed of loosely cemented sandy silt, was recently found to be situated at 120±68 m below mean sea level. If the said marine sediment is distributed as a basal formation of the freshwater zone of the island, most of its groundwater will be of parabasal type. So the marine sediment is one of the most important hydrogeological boundaries and groundwater occurrences in the area. Received: 16 January 1997 / Accepted: 16 June 1997     

Investigation of groundwater mineralization in the Hammamet–Nabeul unconfined aquifer,north-eastern Tunisia: geochemical and isotopic approach

Detailed hydrogeochemical and isotopic data of groundwaters from the Hammamet–Nabeul unconfined aquifer are used to provide a better understanding of the natural and anthropogenic processes that control the groundwater mineralization as well as the sources of different groundwater bodies. It has been demonstrated that groundwaters, which show Na–Cl and Ca–SO₄–Cl water facies, are mainly influenced by the dissolution of evaporates, the dedolomitization and the cation-exchange process; and supplementary by anthropogenic process in relation with return flow of irrigation waters. The isotopic signatures permit to classify the studied groundwaters into two different groups. Non-evaporated groundwaters that are characterized by depleted δ ¹⁸O and δ ²H contents highlighting the importance of modern recharge at higher altitude. Evaporated groundwaters with enriched contents reflecting the significance infiltration of return flow irrigation waters. Tritium data in the studied groundwaters lend support to the existence of pre-1950 and post-1960 recharge. Carbon-14 activities in shallow wells that provide evidence to the large contamination by organic ¹⁴C corroborate the recent origin of the groundwaters in the study area.     

Fluid chemistry and processes at the Porgera gold deposit, Papua New Guinea

The Porgera gold deposit in Papua New Guinea is a world-class example of an alkalic-type epithermal gold system (stage II), which overprints a precursor stage of magmatic-hydrothermal gold mineralization (stage I). Gas and ion chromatographic analyses of fluid inclusions contained in vein minerals from both mineralization stages have been carried out in order to constrain the compositions of the fluids involved in, and the processes attending, ore deposition. These data indicate the presence of three end-member liquids, the most dilute of which was present throughout the mineralization history and is interpreted to represent evolved groundwater of meteoric origin. Its composition is estimated to have been approximately 500 mM Na⁺, 10 mM K⁺, 5 mM Li⁺, 250 mM Cl⁻, 0.15 mM Br⁻, and 0.01 mM I⁻, plus significant concentrations of dissolved gases. More saline liquids were also present during the two main stages of ore formation, and although their compositions differ, both are interpreted to have been derived at least in part from magmatic fluids, and to have been the media by which gold was introduced into the system. Stage I minerals contain fluid inclusions which decrease in salinity towards this dilute end-member composition through the vein paragenesis, reflecting progressive dilution at depth of the magmatic fluid source by groundwaters. Ore deposition is thought to have been caused largely by simple cooling and/or wallrock reactions, although limited in situ fluid mixing may also have occurred. The most saline fluids, present in early quartz and pyrite, contain at least 810 mM Na⁺, 530 mM Ca²⁺, 130 mM K⁺, 12 mM Li⁺, 87 mM SO₄ ²⁻, 960 mM Cl⁻, 1.1 mM Br⁻, and 0.05 mM I⁻, plus significant but variable concentrations of dissolved gases. Fluid inclusions from stage II hydraulic breccia veins reveal the presence of two distinct liquids with contrasting salinities, which were present at different times during vein formation. A higher salinity liquid appears to have predominated during mineralization, whereas lower salinity groundwaters filled the structures during intervening periods. The ore-forming fluid may have been forcibly injected into the veins from depth during fracturing and depressurization events, displacing the resident groundwaters in the process. The original composition of this fluid is estimated to have been at least 1770 mM Na⁺, 59 mM K⁺, 180 mM Li⁺, 210 mM SO₄ ²⁻, 680 mM Cl⁻, 1.4 mM Br⁻, and 0.09 mM I⁻, plus 1.5 mol% CO₂, 0.19 mol% CH₄, and 0.04 mol% N₂. Gas chromatographic analyses of fluid inclusions from stage II samples show a decrease in total gas content between early unmineralized veins and post-mineralization vuggy quartz (suitable samples could not be obtained from the ore stage itself). Post-mineralization samples plot along an experimental gas-saturation curve in the CO₂-CH₄-H₂O-NaCl system, obtained at conditions similar to those attending stage II ore deposition at Porgera (200–300 bar, ˜165 °C). These results are interpreted to indicate a period of depressurization-induced phase separation during hydraulic fracturing, which resulted in rich ore deposition. Volatile gases such as CH₄ and N₂, in addition to CO₂ in solution, are shown to have a significant negative effect on total gas solubility. This effect may be of critical importance in lowering the temperature and increasing the depth (pressure) at which phase separation can occur in epithermal systems. Received: 28 November 1995 / Accepted: 17 July 1996     

Origin and distribution of saline groundwaters in the upper Miocene aquifer system, coastal Rhodope area, northeastern Greece

 This paper describes the origins and distribution of saline groundwaters in the coastal area of Rhodope, Greece. The aquifer system includes two aquifers within coarse-grained alluvial sediments in the coastal part of the study area. Two major water-quality groups occur in the study area, namely Ca²⁺-rich saline groundwater and Ca²⁺-poor, almost fresh groundwater. The main process controlling the groundwater chemistry is the exchange of calcium and sodium between the aquifer matrix and intruding seawater. The natural salt water in the study area is probably residual water that infiltrated the aquifer system during repeated marine transgressions in late Pleistocene time. Seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifer system occurs as a result of overpumping in two seawater wedges separated vertically by a low-permeability layer. The rate of intrusion averages 0.8 m/d and is less than expected due to a decline of the aquifer's permeability at the interface with the seawater. The application of several hydrochemical techniques (Piper and Durov diagrams; Na⁺/Cl^–, Ca²⁺/Cl^–, Mg²⁺/Cl^–, and Br^–/Cl^– molar ratios; Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺ weight ratio; and chloride concentrations), combined with field observations, may lead to a better explanation of the origin of the saline groundwater. Received, May 1997 / Revised, May 1998, December 1998 / Accepted, February 1999     

Identification of cross-valley faults in the Maynardville Limestone,Oak Ridge Reservation,Tennessee, using seismic refraction tomography

First arrival times from P-wave refraction and reflection seismic surveys along Bear Creek Valley on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, were inverted to produce refraction tomographic velocity images showing seismic velocity variations within thinly mantled karstic bedrock to a depth of approximately 20 m. Inverted velocities are consistent with two distinct bedrock groups: the Nolichucky Shale (2,730–5,150 m/s) and Maynardville Limestone (3,940–7,575 m/s). Low-velocity zones (2,700–4,000 m/s) in the tomographic images correspond to previously inferred cross-valley strike-slip faults; in places, these faults create permeability barriers that offset or block groundwater flowing along Bear Creek Valley. These faults may also force groundwater contaminants, such as dense non-aqueous phase liquids, to migrate laterally or downward, spreading contamination throughout the groundwater system. Other, previously unmapped cross-valley faults may also be visible in the tomographic images. Borehole logs suggest the low-velocity values are caused by low rigidity fractured and vuggy rock, water zones, cavities and collapse features. Surface streams, including Bear Creek, tend to lie directly above these low-velocity zones, suggesting fault and fracture control of surface drainage, in addition to the subsurface flow system. In some cases, fault zones are also associated with bedrock depressions and thicker accumulations of unconsolidated sediment.