Tufa and travertines of southern Italy: deep‐seated,fault‐related CO2 as the key control in precipitation

Continental carbonates of Quaternary age in southern Italy commonly exhibit the facies of calcareous tufa, often reported as related to shallow aquifers fed by meteoric waters and to organic processes. A close spatial relationship exists between the mappable tufa deposits and major Quaternary extensional faults. With respect to the Ca‐Mg‐HCO₃ composition of limestone aquifers’ springs, tufa‐depositing springs exhibit higher salinity and alkalinity, are slightly warmer, have lower pH and are enriched in SO₄ and CO₂. Their δ¹³C values are systematically positive and compatible with a deep‐seated carbon source. A clear input of soil‐derived organic carbon is indicated only for small, non‐mappable tufas deposited by perched springs. The dataset indicates that the large tufa deposits owe their origin to a supplementary source of CO₂ advected by degassing through active faults, as a necessary prerequisite for inducing a rise of total dissolved salts and alkalinity. Meteoric waters that have come from a shallow aquifer are able to precipitate only limited amount of carbonates.     

Laminated tufa sediments formed from overflow karst springs: Controls on their deposition and carbon–oxygen isotope records

Tufa sediments are freshwater carbonates that precipitate in karst regions after degassing of carbon dioxide from groundwater in contact with the atmosphere. When laminated, these carbonates can provide high‐resolution records for the study of climate, hydrological and environmental conditions at the time of their precipitation. The formation of these carbonates directly depends on the hydrological regime, and in karst regions discontinuous discharges are often recorded. This study investigates the record of recent laminated tufa sediments precipitated downstream overflow springs in Trabaque Canyon (central Spain). The hydrological dynamics of the karst system were monitored for over three years and a stable isotope record was obtained from laminated tufa carbonates precipitated from an overflow spring. Additionally, a hydrological model of overflow springs was generated and a tufa δ¹⁸O record under constrained parameters was simulated. Temperature is the dominant control of the variation in tufa δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values within each lamina, although when comparing different laminae, δ¹³C_DIC and δ¹⁸O of river water are also major controls. The positive correlation between tufa δ¹³C values and water temperature is caused by the fractionation occurred by carbon dioxide degassing due to the thermal dependence of carbon dioxide solubility. Additionally, the system recorded a temperature‐independent degassing process caused by the large gradient between groundwater and atmospheric carbon dioxide that is limited to the proximity of the spring. This study cautions on the risk of assuming continuous deposition when studying laminated tufa sediments and highlights the potential of their stable isotope records to provide hydrological information of their aquifers during the past.     

Review: The distribution,flow, and quality of Grand Canyon Springs,Arizona (USA)

An understanding of the hydrogeology of Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) in northern Arizona, USA, is critical for future resource protection. The ~750 springs in GRCA provide both perennial and seasonal flow to numerous desert streams, drinking water to wildlife and visitors in an otherwise arid environment, and habitat for rare, endemic and threatened species. Spring behavior and flow patterns represent local and regional patterns in aquifer recharge, reflect the geologic structure and stratigraphy, and are indicators of the overall biotic health of the canyon. These springs, however, are subject to pressures from water supply development, changes in recharge from forest fires and other land management activities, and potential contamination. Roaring Springs is the sole water supply for residents and visitors (>6 million/year), and all springs support valuable riparian habitats with very high species diversity. Most springs flow from the karstic Redwall-Muav aquifer and show seasonal patterns in flow and water chemistry indicative of variable aquifer porosities, including conduit flow. They have Ca/Mg-HCO₃ dominated chemistry and trace elements consistent with nearby deep wells drilled into the Redwall-Muav aquifer. Tracer techniques and water-age dating indicate a wide range of residence times for many springs, supporting the concept of multiple porosities. A perched aquifer produces small springs which issue from the contacts between sandstone and shale units, with variable groundwater residence times. Stable isotope data suggest both an elevational and seasonal difference in recharge between North and South Rim springs. This review highlights the complex nature of the groundwater system.     

Effect of diffuse recharge and wastewater on groundwater contamination in Douala,Cameroon

High water demand for domestic use in Douala with over 3 million inhabitants is met mainly by shallow groundwater. Field measurements and water sampling in January 2015 were carried out to examine the major controls on the groundwater composition and spatial view of ions in the water, timing of recharge and link between the recharge process and quality of the water. Fifty-two water samples were analysed for major ions and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. Low pH values (3.61–6.92) in the groundwater indicated an acidic aquifer; thus, prone to acidification. The dominant water type was Na–Cl. Nitrate, which exceeded the WHO guide value of 50 mg/l in 22% of the groundwater, poses a health problem. Mass ratios of Cl^?/Br^? in the water ranged from 54 to 3249 and scattered mostly along the mixing lines between dilute waters, septic-tank effluent and domestic sewage. A majority of the samples, especially the high NO₃ ^? shallow wells, clustered around the septic-tank effluent-end-member indicating high contamination by seepage from pit latrines; hence, vulnerable to pollution. Stable isotopes in the groundwater indicated its meteoric origin and rapid infiltration after rainfall. The δ¹⁸O values showed narrow ranges and overlaps in rivers, springs, open wells and boreholes. These observations depict hydraulic connectivity, good water mixing and a homogeneous aquifer system mainly receiving local direct uniform areal recharge from rainfall. The rapid and diffused recharge favours the leaching of effluent from the pit toilets into the aquifer; hence, the high NO₃ ^? and Cl^? in shallow wells. Silicate weathering, ion exchange and leaching of waste from pit toilets are the dominant controls on the groundwater chemistry. Drilling of deep boreholes is highly recommended for good-quality water supply. However, due the hydraulic connection to the shallow aquifer, geochemical modelling of future effects of such an exploitation of the deeper aquifer should support groundwater management and be ahead of the field actions.     

Isotopic variations of oxygen and hydrogen in groundwater of carbonate aquifer in an arid environment

The stable isotopic characteristics were used together with the total chloride to assess changes in groundwater from recharge zones into the carbonate aquifer in an arid environment. The aquifer under study represents a major source of groundwater and thermal springs in Al-Ain city, which are located at the northern part of Jabal Hafit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The relationship between oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of groundwater is established and is described by δD?=?2.2δ¹⁸O???9.96. The lower slope and y-intercept of groundwater samples relative to the local meteoric waterline suggests that the isotopic enrichment is due to the evaporation of shallow groundwater after recharge occurs. The majority of the shallow groundwater samples have a negative deuterium excess (d-excess) which might be ascribed to high a degree of evaporation, while most of the groundwater samples from deep wells, have a positive value of d-excess which may be related to a low degree of evaporation. The δ¹⁸O values of the thermal waters suggest enrichment towards δ¹⁸O of the carbonate rocks because of the exchange with oxygen at higher temperatures. A possible mixing between thermal or hot water and shallow groundwater is evident in some samples as reflected by δD vs. Cl and d-excess vs. δ¹⁸O plots.     

Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine,Arizona (USA)

The processes that affect water chemistry as the water flows from recharge areas through breccia-pipe uranium deposits in the Grand Canyon region of the southwestern United States are not well understood. Pigeon Spring had elevated uranium in 1982 (44 μg/L), compared to other perched springs (2.7–18 μg/L), prior to mining operations at the nearby Pigeon Mine. Perched groundwater springs in an area around the Pigeon Mine were sampled between 2009 and 2015 and compared with material from the Pigeon Mine to better understand the geochemistry and hydrology of the area. Two general groups of perched groundwater springs were identified from this study; one group is characterized by calcium sulfate type water, low uranium activity ratio ²³⁴U/²³⁸U (UAR) values, and a mixture of water with some component of modern water, and the other group by calcium-magnesium sulfate type water, higher UAR values, and radiocarbon ages indicating recharge on the order of several thousand years ago. Multivariate statistical principal components analysis of Pigeon Mine and spring samples indicate Cu, Pb, As, Mn, and Cd concentrations distinguished mining-related leachates from perched groundwater springs. The groundwater potentiometric surface indicates that perched groundwater at Pigeon Mine would likely flow toward the northwest away from Pigeon Spring. The geochemical analysis of the water, sediment and rock samples collected from the Snake Gulch area indicate that the elevated uranium at Pigeon Spring is likely related to a natural source of uranium upgradient from the spring and not likely related to the Pigeon Mine.     

Groundwater recharge and evolution of water quality in China’s Jilantai Basin based on hydrogeochemical and isotopic evidence

We investigated major ions, stable isotopes, and radiocarbon dates in a Quaternary aquifer in semi-arid northwestern China to gain insights into groundwater recharge and evolution. Most deep and shallow groundwater in the Helan Mountains was fresh, with total dissolved solids <1,000 mg L^?1 and Cl^? <250 mg L^?1. The relationships of major ions with Cl^? suggest strong dissolution of evaporites. However, dissolution of carbonates, albite weathering, and ion exchange are also the major groundwater process in Jilantai basin. The shallow desert groundwater is enriched in δ¹⁸O and intercepts the local meteoric water line at δ¹⁸O = ?13.4 ‰, indicating that direct infiltration is a minor recharge source. The isotope compositions in intermediate confined aquifers resemble those of shallow unconfined groundwater, revealing that upward recharge from intermediate formations is a major source of shallow groundwater in the plains and desert. The estimated residence time of 10.0 kyr at one desert site, indicating that some replenishment of desert aquifers occurred in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene with a wetter and colder climate than at present.     

Dynamics and anthropogenic impacts of multiple karst flow systems in a mountainous area of South China

The Xiangxi River basin, South China, is a steep terrane with well-developed karst features and an important Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer. Meteoric water in this mountainous area features a mean δ¹⁸O elevation gradient of –2.4?‰/km. This gradient was used to estimate mean recharge elevations of 760 m for Shuimoxi (SMX) spring, 1,060 m for Xiangshuidong (XSD) spring, and 1,430 m for drill hole ZK03, indicating multiple flow paths in the Cambrian-Ordovician karst aquifer. Mean residence times of 230 and 320 days and ～2 years were estimated for these features, respectively, using the damped running average model that predicts the isotopic variations in groundwater from those in precipitation. Groundwater in the regional karst flow system has the longest residence time, the highest recharge elevation, the longest flow paths, the lowest addition of anthropogenic components, and the greatest amount of water–rock interaction as indicated by its higher dissolved solids, Mg²⁺ concentrations and Mg/Ca ratios than the springs. In contrast, the local and shallow karst flow systems respond rapidly to recharge events. Artificial tracer tests prove that these shallow karst systems can also quickly transmit anthropogenic contaminants, indicating that they are highly vulnerable to human impacts, which include the enrichment of NO₃ ^–. The intensity of water–rock interaction and groundwater vulnerability are mainly determined by the structure and dynamics of the multiple karst flow systems.     

Influence of hydrostratigraphy and structural setting on the arsenic occurrence in groundwater of the Cimino-Vico volcanic area (central Italy)

Arsenic occurrence in groundwater near the Cimino-Vico volcanoes (central Italy) was analysed considering the hydrostratigraphy and structural setting and the shallow and deep flows interacting within the Quaternary volcanics. Groundwater is the local source of drinking water. As documented in the past, arsenic in the groundwater has become a problem, and the European maximum allowable contaminant level was recently lowered to 10 μg/L. Chemical analyses of groundwater were conducted, sampled over an area of about 900 km², from 65 wells and springs representative of the volcanic aquifer and thermal waters. Considering the type of aquifer, the nature of the aquifer formation and its substratum, the hydrochemical data highlight that the arsenic content of the groundwater is mainly connected with the hydrothermal processes in the volcanic area. Thermal waters (54–60°C) fed from deep-rising fluids show higher arsenic concentrations (176–371 μg/L). Cold waters sampled from the volcanic aquifer are characterized by a wide variability in their arsenic concentration (1.6–195 μg/L), and about 62% exceed the limit of 10 μg/L. Where the shallow volcanic aquifer is open to deep-rising thermal fluids, relatively high arsenic concentrations (20–100 μg/L) are found. This occurs close to areas of the more recent volcano-tectonic structures.     

Long-term spatio-temporal hydrochemical and 222Rn tracing to investigate groundwater flow and water–rock interaction in the Gran Sasso (central Italy) carbonate aquifer

In the Gran Sasso fissured carbonate aquifer (central Italy), a long-term (2001–2007) spatio-temporal hydrochemical and ²²²Rn tracing survey was performed with the goal to investigate groundwater flow and water–rock interaction. Analyses of the physico-chemical parameters, and comparisons of multichemical and characteristic ratios in space and time, and subsequent statistical analyses, permitted a characterisation of the hydrogeology. At the regional scale, groundwater flows from recharge areas to the springs located at the aquifer boundaries, with a gradual increase of mineralisation and temperature along its flowpaths. However, the parameters of each group of springs may significantly deviate from the regional trend owing to fast flows and to the geological setting of the discharge spring areas, as corroborated by statistical data. Along regional flowpaths, the effects of seasonal recharge and lowering of the water table clearly cause changes in ion concentrations over time. This conceptual model was validated by an analysis of the ²²²Rn content in groundwater. ²²²Rn content, for which temporal variability depends on seasonal fluctuations of the water table, local lithology and the fracture network at the spring discharge areas, was considered as a tracer of the final stages of groundwater flowpaths.     

Comparison of age distributions estimated from environmental tracers by using binary-dilution and numerical models of fractured and folded karst: Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia, USA

Measured concentrations of environmental tracers in spring discharge from a karst aquifer in the Shenandoah Valley, USA, were used to refine a numerical groundwater flow model. The karst aquifer is folded and faulted carbonate bedrock dominated by diffuse flow along fractures. The numerical model represented bedrock structure and discrete features (fault zones and springs). Concentrations of ³H, ³He, ⁴He, and CFC-113 in spring discharge were interpreted as binary dilutions of young (0–8  years) water and old (tracer-free) water. Simulated mixtures of groundwater are derived from young water flowing along shallow paths, with the addition of old water flowing along deeper paths through the model domain that discharge to springs along fault zones. The simulated median age of young water discharged from springs (5.7  years) is slightly older than the median age estimated from ³H/³He data (4.4  years). The numerical model predicted a fraction of old water in spring discharge (0.07) that was half that determined by the binary-dilution model using the ³H/³He apparent age and ³H and CFC-113 data (0.14). This difference suggests that faults and lineaments are more numerous or extensive than those mapped and included in the numerical model.     

Intra-annual perturbations of stable isotopes in tufas: Effects of hydrological processes

Tufas, which are freshwater carbonates, are potential archives of terrestrial paleoclimate. Time series of stable isotopic compositions commonly show regular seasonal patterns controlled by temperature-dependent processes, and some perturbation intrinsic to the locality. We examined three tufa-depositing sites in southwestern Japan with similar temperate climates, to understand the origin of local characteristics in the isotopic records. Seasonal change in the oxygen isotope is principally reflected by temperature-dependent fractionation between water and calcite but was perturbed after heavy rainfalls overwhelming the stability of the δ¹⁸O value of the groundwater at one site. Isotopic mass balance indicates an undersaturated and relatively small aquifer at this locality. Water δ¹⁸O values at the other two sites were stable, reflecting a regular seasonal change in the δ¹⁸O value of tufa. Perturbation of the δ¹³C values in tufa is largely due to CO₂ degassing from the stream, which significantly increases the δ¹³C values of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). At a site with remarkably high pCO₂ in springwater and a sensitive response of flow rate to rainfall, the amount of CO₂ degassing changed distinctly with flow rate. In contrast, the other two sites having low pCO₂ springwater reflect a regular seasonal pattern of δ¹³C in DIC and tufa specimens.     

The impact of salt diapirs on the quality of carbonate karst waters,Bastak, Iran

The Gavbast karstic aquifer located in southern Iran is in direct contact with an exposed salt diapir. To assess the influence of the diapir on the quality of groundwater in the karstic aquifer, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, flow rate, temperature and major ion concentrations were measured at 57 sampling sites, including springs, surface waters and wells. A conceptual model of groundwater flow is proposed for the Gavbast karstic aquifer based on the geological setting, water budget, local base of erosion, and hydrochemistry of the sampling sites. The model suggests two subbasins in the Gavbast Anticline draining into two distinct discharging alluvial sections. Unexpectedly, groundwater discharging from the carbonate Gavbast aquifer is saline or brackish and water is of chloride type. The study indicates that the source of salinity of the Gavbast aquifers is infiltration of surface diapir-derived brine into the aquifer. The contribution of the diapir brine in the Gavbast karst aquifer is calculated about 4 L/s, using chloride mass balance. Construction of salt basins to evaporate brine discharging from the diapir springs is proposed to reduce the salinity of karst water. A row of strategically placed wells in the Gavbast karst aquifer would potentially exploit large volumes of fresh groundwater before it is contaminated by the salt. Such low-cost remediation should allow the agricultural exploitation of 40 km² of currently barren land.     

Groundwater sustainability assessment in coastal aquifers

The present work investigates the response of shallow, coastal unconfined aquifers to anticipated overdraft conditions and climate change effect using numerical simulation. The groundwater flow model MODFLOW and variable density groundwater model SEAWAT are used for this investigation. The transmissivity and specific yield estimated from the existing database range from 10 to 810 m ²/day and 0.08% to 10.92% respectively. After successful calibration with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency greater than 0.80, the values of horizontal hydraulic conductivity and specific yield of the unconfined aquifer were set in the range 1.85–61.90 m/day and 0.006–0.24 respectively. After validating the model, it is applied for forecasting the aquifer’s response to anticipated future scenarios of groundwater draft, recharge rate and sea level rise. The findings of the study illustrate that saltwater intrusion is intensified in the area adjoining the tidal rivers, rather than that due to the sea alone. Of all the scenarios simulated, the immense negative impact on groundwater quality emerges due to overdraft conditions and reduced recharge with the areal extent of seawater intrusion exceeding about 67% (TDS >1 kg/m ³). The study also arrives at the conclusion that, regional sea level rise of 1 mm/year has no impact on the groundwater dynamics of the aquifer.     

Analysis of groundwater flow through low-latitude alpine permafrost by model simulation: a case study in the headwater area of Yellow River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

Warming climate and thawing permafrost have profound impacts on groundwater flow regimes in cold regions because of the shrinkage or disappearance of the confining unit formed by the permafrost layers and improving hydraulic connections. Numerical simulations of coupled groundwater flow and heat transfer are often used to characterize the changing permafrost hydrogeology. In this study, a number of scenarios for different hydraulic gradients and lake-water depths have been used to simulate the concordant permafrost evolution and groundwater movement using a two-dimensional cylindrical coordinate model at time scales of decades to centuries in response to a warming climate. The model is applied to a representative headwater catchment in the south-central headwater area of the Yellow River on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. The results show that the presence and movement of groundwater and the deeper subpermafrost aquifer can substantially accelerate permafrost degradation, and the disappearance of residual permafrost at depth can result in the sudden establishment of deep groundwater flow paths. All hydrological impacts will become evident after the stabilization of the hydrothermal and flow fields at 100–200 years. The stable discharge rate of groundwater flow varies from 8.0 to 12.4 m³ s⁻¹, and the stable velocity of groundwater flow varies from 1.6 × 10⁻⁷ to 4.4 × 10⁻⁷ m s⁻¹ under different scenarios within the model domain. The modeling results also demonstrate that flow velocity and discharge rate in local groundwater flow systems can be enhanced by an increased hydraulic conductivity, leading to an accelerated degradation of isolated permafrost bodies.

     

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic evidence of groundwater evolution and recharge in aquifers in Beijing Plain, China

An investigation was conducted in Beijing to identify the groundwater evolution and recharge in the quaternary aquifers. Water samples were collected from precipitation, rivers, wells, and springs for hydrochemical and isotopic measurements. The recharge and the origin of groundwater and its residence time were further studied. The groundwater in the upper aquifer is characterized by Ca-Mg-HCO₃ type in the upstream area and Na-HCO₃ type in the downstream area of the groundwater flow field. The groundwater in the lower aquifer is mainly characterized by Ca-Mg-HCO₃ type in the upstream area and Ca-Na-Mg-HCO₃ and Na-Ca-Mg-HCO₃ type in the downstream area. The δD and δ¹⁸O in precipitation are linearly correlated, which is similar to WMWL. The δD and δ¹⁸O values of river, well and spring water are within the same ranges as those found in the alluvial fan zone, and lay slightly above or below LMWL. The δD and δ¹⁸O values have a decreasing trend generally following the precipitation → surface water → shallow groundwater → spring water → deep groundwater direction. There is evidence of enrichment of heavy isotopes in groundwater due to evaporation. Tritium values of unconfined groundwater give evidence for ongoing recharge in modern times with mean residence times <50 a. It shows a clear renewal evolution along the groundwater flow paths and represents modern recharge locally from precipitation and surface water to the shallow aquifers (<150 m). In contrast, according to ¹⁴C ages in the confined aquifers and residence time of groundwater flow lines, the deep groundwater is approximately or older than 10 ka, and was recharged during a period when the climate was wetter and colder mainly from the piedmont surrounding the plain. The groundwater exploitation is considered to be “mined unsustainably” because more water is withdrawn than it is replenished.     

Groundwater development,Kharga Oases,Western Desert of Egypt: A long-term environmental concern

The groundwater reserves in Kharga Oases have been studied for the long-term socioeconomic development in the area. The Nubian Sandstone, which consists of a thick sequence of coarse clastic sediments of sandstone, sandy clay interbedded with shale, and clay beds, forms a complex aquifer system. The Nubian Aquifer has been providing water to artesian wells and springs in the Kharga Oases for several thousand years. Groundwater in the Kharga Oases is withdrawn from springs and shallow and deep artesian wells Nearly all the wells originally flowed, but with the exploitation of ground-water from deep wells for irrigation beginning about 1959. the natural flows declined as more and more closely spaced deep wells were drilled By 1975 many deep wells had ceased to flow The water demand in the area has been met by pumping both shallow and deep wells The total annual extraction from deep wells has fluctuated over the year, however, the annual withdrawal from deep wells has exceeded extraction from shallow wells About 17 billion m³ of water was withdrawn from the combination of shallow and deep wells during the period 1960–1980 The Nubian complex aquifer in the Kharga Oases has a very large groundwater potential that could be exploited and beneficially used for a long-term agricultural development in the area, provided proper well spacing and management are implemented Other major environmental considerations for which precise hydrogeologic data are needed include

1. Determination of the long-term yield available from properly constructed and producing artesian wells that will support a planned migration of population from the overcrowded Nile delta and flood plain areas
2. Development of an effective management program and adequate staff to maintain groundwater production over an extended period of years
3. The impact on climate caused by extensive irrigation in the oases of the Western Desert of Egypt
4. Protection against water logging of soils from irrigation practices
5. Protection against salinization of soils from irrigation practices
6. Development of effective surface and subsurface drainage practices
7. The impact of farming and pest control practices on the shallow groundwater of the oases
8. Determination of the long-term development of the artesian water on the quality of the water from the aquiter systems in the Western Desert

This paper addresses items 1, 2 and 8.     

Modelling surface–groundwater interaction in the Ruataniwha basin, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

Modelling groundwater and surface water is important for integrated water resources management, especially when interaction between the river and the aquifer is high. A transient groundwater and surface water flow model was built for Ruataniwha basin, New Zealand. The model covers a long-time period; starting in 1990, when water resources development in the area started, to present date. For a better resolution, the simulation period was divided into 59 stress periods, and each stress period was divided to 10 time steps. The model uses data obtained from surface water, and groundwater collected over the last 20 years. Rivers and streams were divided into 28 segments and flow and streambed data at the beginning and end of each segment was used. Parameter estimation and optimisation ‘PEST’ was used for automatic calibration of hydraulic conductivity, groundwater recharge and storativity; whereas riverbed conductance was manually calibrated. Model results show that the rivers gain from the aquifer considerably more than the river losses. The cumulative groundwater abstraction over the last 20 years is approximately 210 million m³. This amount is very low compared to other water budget components; however, the effect of groundwater abstraction on storage is significant. Based on the results of this study, it was found that the loss of storage over the last 20 years is more than 66 million m³. Results also reveal that the effect of groundwater abstraction on rivers and springs flow is significant. The rivers gain from the groundwater system, and the springs flow have been decreasing.     

A combined geological, hydrochemical, and geophysical approach to understanding a disease contamination hazard in groundwaters at a state fish hatchery

At the Midway, Utah, USA fish hatchery, a groundwater development program was conducted to help transition the facility from surface to groundwater in response to contamination by whirling disease, which is caused by a trout parasite. The unconfined aquifer system that provided the hatchery water became infected through the recharge of infected irrigation water obtained from the Provo River. Whirling disease was first discovered in Utah in 1991 at a private fish farm. Infected fish from the farm quickly infected many of Utah’s waterways and infected the hatchery in 2000. Because the parasite completes its life cycle in multiple organisms and can survive for decades in a variety of harsh environments, a comprehensive study of the hydrostratigraphy and hydrodynamics at the hatchery was critical in order to understand the hazard and avoid further contamination. Drilling revealed the presence of a shallow unconfined (surface to 10 m) and two deeper confined aquifer systems (~20–35 m and >40 m bgs). Confinement is related to tufa layers, detected both by drilling and reflection seismology. The tufa layers are associated with past discharge of the thermal system. Vertical leakage is apparent from upward hydraulic head gradients and incrementally increasing unconfined aquifer discharge into downstream on-site drainage canals. High-resolution seismic profiles reveal small-offset faults that provide pathways for upward flow. Analysis of water quality data demonstrates an inverted geochemical gradient in that apparent ¹⁴C ages, solute concentrations, and temperatures decrease with depth. The origin of the inverted geochemical gradient is related to mixing of upwelling thermal, high-TDS waters with cold, low-TDS systems several kilometers up-gradient from the hatchery. Thermal upwelling appears to be fault controlled. Up-gradient of the hatchery, near-surface groundwater mixes with a larger proportion of thermal groundwater than does deeper groundwater. As these mixed systems flow toward the hatchery, a major locus of groundwater discharge, they are segregated into confined and unconfined compartments. Our study requires integration of hydrological, geochemical, and geophysical strategies in order to understand a complex natural hazard and thus may serve as a model for other similarly complex hydrological environments.     

Migration of arsenic in multi-aquifer system of southern Bengal Basin: analysis via numerical modeling

A heterogeneous anisotropic steady-state groundwater flow model for the multi-aquifer system of a part of southern Bengal Basin shows that human intervention has changed the natural groundwater flow system. At present, the shallow groundwater flow is restricted within the aquifer, with very short travel time of tens of years and vertical path length. The deep aquifer is fed by surface water or rainwater from distant locations with travel time of thousands of years and has no hydraulic connection with the arsenic-rich shallow aquifer. Numerical simulations indicate that the future pumping of deep groundwater is not likely to drive in arsenic from the shallow aquifer. Therefore, new wells may be installed in the deep aquifer. High pumping of shallow unpolluted aquifer consisting of brown sand will drive in groundwater containing organic matter from the post-Last Glacial Maximum aquifer-aquitard system. The organic matter drives reduction of manganese oxides at strip interfaces between palaeo-channel and palaeo-interfluve. After the completion of manganese reduction, FeOOH reduction may take place in the marginal palaeo-interfluvial aquifer and release sorbed arsenic. Arsenic then moves into the interior of palaeo-interfluvial aquifer polluting its fresh groundwater. Arsenic migration rates ranges between 0.21 and 6.3 and 1.3 × 10^?2 and 0.4 m/year in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. Therefore, palaeo-interfluvial aquifer will remain arsenic-free for hundreds to thousands of years to supply safe drinking water.