基于DFOS的苏州第四纪沉积层变形及地面沉降监测分析

苏州地区广泛分布松散第四纪沉积物,大量抽取地下水导致了苏州大范围的地面沉降,严重影响了该区经济发展。本文在苏州盛泽200m钻孔内安装了分布式感测光纤,采用BOTDR及FBG等分布式光纤感测技术(DFOS),对第四纪沉积层压缩及地面沉降进行了长期的监测分析。分析结果表明:苏州盛泽地区第四纪土层可分为3个含水层(Af)及4个弱透水层(Ad),现阶段含水层压缩已不明显,主要压缩层为与抽水含水层相邻的两个隔水层,且与抽水含水层距离越近的部位压缩越明显; 第四纪沉积层的变形与抽水含水层孔隙水压变化基本一致,呈现出夏季压缩,冬季略回弹的趋势,并且存在滞后现象; 定义压缩度为各层累计压缩量与其自身厚度的比值,即每米压缩量。各土层沉降趋势可用压缩度判断,对于黏土隔水层沉降程度Ad2 Ad3 Ad4 Ad1,对于含水砂层,Af2为主要变形层,Af1及Af3变形基本稳定。DFOS技术为研究地面沉降机理,评价土层压缩变形潜力提供了十分先进的监测手段。     

Geological and hydrogeological environment in Tianjin with potential geohazards and groundwater control during excavation

This paper discusses the geological and hydrogeological features of Quaternary deposits in Tianjin as well as the geohazards related to groundwater hydrology in this region. The soft soil deposits, comprising silt, sand, silty clay and clay, are composed of four aquifer groups. In the first aquifer group, one phreatic aquifer and two confined aquifers have relationships with underground construction in the urban area. These three aquifers are separated by two aquitards and collectively form a multi-aquifer system. During geotechnical construction, potential geohazards present are related to the groundwater, which include water-in-rushing, quicksand and piping hazards. To prevent the aforementioned geohazards, dewatering is conducted; however, groundwater pumping may result in large settlements of the surrounding ground. To reduce pumping-induced settlement, the dewatering–waterproofing system has been adopted. According to the characteristics of the subsoil, excavation depth and the surrounding environment, the dewatering system can be divided into five patterns. In the first four patterns, when pumping is conducted in the excavation pit, the groundwater head in the adjacent aquifers outside the pit decreases due to the leakage effect of the aquitards located between the aquifers. In the fifth pattern, waterproof curtain has cut off the aquifers completely and dewatering in the pit cannot result in settlement around excavation pit. To avoid geohazards related to groundwater hydrology, countermeasures recommended include construction of an effective waterproof curtain, selection of a reasonable excavation dewatering pattern and withdrawal of required groundwater.     

The impact of cattle pasturing on groundwater quality in bedrock aquifers having minimal overburden

Widespread agricultural activity may threaten water quality in fractured bedrock aquifers having little overburden protection. A study in Canada improves the understanding of the potential impact of agriculture on water quality in bedrock aquifers, focusing on spatial and temporal variability of nitrate and bacteria. A research site was developed in and adjacent to a hay field where a gneissic aquifer is overlain by a thin veneer of unconsolidated glacial material. Ten wells were installed, hydraulically tested and completed as multilevel piezometers. Results of monthly sampling for nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, and E. coli show significant temporal and spatial variation in concentrations. Intensive 5-day sampling rounds conducted during baseflow and recharge conditions indicate that bacterial concentrations vary daily, with higher concentrations during recharge periods. The location of the impacted monitoring wells is correlated to an upgradient cattle pasture that is used periodically each summer. It is evident that periodic upgradient sources, dilution from recharge, and heterogeneous flow systems lead to varied and unpredictable contaminant concentrations. The temporal and spatial variability of contaminants in bedrock aquifers with minimal overburden must be considered for the protection of human health, as annual or even monthly groundwater monitoring may not capture unsafe concentrations.     

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.     

Groundwater quality of porous aquifers in Greece: a synoptic review

Greece is dependent on groundwater resources for its water supply. The main aquifers are within carbonate rocks (karstic aquifers) and coarse grained Neogene and Quaternary deposits (porous aquifers). The use of groundwater resources has become particularly intensive in coastal areas during the last decades with the intense urbanization, tourist development and irrigated land expansion. Sources of groundwater pollution are the seawater intrusion due to over-exploitation of coastal aquifers, the fertilizers from agricultural activities and the disposal of untreated wastewater in torrents or in old pumping wells. In the last decades the total abstractions from coastal aquifers exceed the natural recharge; so the aquifer systems are not used safely. Over-exploitation causes a negative water balance, triggering seawater intrusion. Seawater intrusion phenomena are recorded in coastal aquifer systems. Nitrate pollution is the second major source of groundwater degradation in many areas in Greece. The high levels of nitrate are probably the result of over-fertilization and the lack of sewage systems in some urban areas.     

地表灌溉对沉积含水层中碘迁移释放过程的影响

灌溉等人为活动会造成外源物质的输入,如硝酸盐、有机质等,从而引起浅层地下水环境发生周期性波动。为研究农业灌溉对沉积含水层中碘迁移富集过程的影响,选取代表性富碘沉积物,通过室内实验模拟了灌溉活动外源物质输入条件下,盆地地下水系统中碘迁移释放的（生物）地球化学过程。实验结果表明：厌氧条件下,外源有机质输入可促使微生物利用有机质作为电子供体,还原固相铁矿物相,进而造成搭载于铁氧化物/氢氧化物表面的碘释放,以碘离子形式在地下水中富集;而在NO₃^-输入情况下,微生物会优先利用NO₃^-为电子受体,至硝酸盐被全部消耗后,Fe（Ⅲ）可进一步被还原为Fe（Ⅱ）。研究结果表明,人为活动造成浅表环境外源物质的输入可直接影响浅层地下水中碘的迁移释放过程。伊利石黏土矿物吸附的铁氧化物矿物相可能为浅层环境中碘的主要搭载介质,微生物作用下,铁氧化物/氢氧化物的还原溶解是高碘地下水形成的主控因素。     

Strontium-isotope studies of “brown water” (organic-rich groundwater) from Denmark

 Groundwater from some Quaternary and upper Tertiary aquifers in western Jutland, Denmark, is heavily influenced by "brown water", i.e., groundwater with a high content of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter. Stable-isotope analyses (¹⁸O/¹⁶O and D/H) indicate that both Quaternary and upper Tertiary aquifers are dominated by meteoric water. However, strontium-isotope analyses make it possible to distinguish between water samples from Quaternary and Miocene aquifers. Relatively low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, i.e., ∼0.7083, in Sr-rich water samples indicate that the majority of dissolved Sr in groundwater from Miocene as well as Quaternary strata is probably derived from Miocene marine skeletal carbonate matter in the subsurface. This situation is probably the result of Quaternary glacial reworking of upper Tertiary material and/or hydraulic contact between Quaternary and Miocene aquifers. A positive correlation between Sr contents and non-volatile organic carbon indicates that the remarkably high contents of organic matter recorded in these aquifers almost certainly are derived from Miocene sources as well. Received, February 1999 / Revised, July 1999 / Accepted, July 1999     

Methods for determining the in situ hydraulic conductivity of shallow aquitards – an overview

Shallow clay-rich aquitards limit groundwater recharge to underlying aquifers, but they also protect the aquifers from contamination. The bulk hydraulic conductivity of such shallow aquitards can range from less than 1 mm/year to more than 100 m/year and may be much greater than the hydraulic conductivity of small intact samples of the aquitard material. This enhanced hydraulic conductivity diminishes the qualities of the aquitards for the protection of underlying aquifers but allows a higher rate of recharge. For aquifers that are overlain by aquitards, management and protection of groundwater resources may be critically dependent on reliable determinations of aquitard permeability. A variety of methods for determining bulk hydraulic conductivities of shallow clay aquitards is available; each has drawbacks and advantages, and each is based on simplifying assumptions. These methods include slug tests, pumping tests, response of the aquitard to mechanical loading, and analysis of natural pore-pressure fluctuations. Several of the commonly used methods require an independent measurement of specific storage. Laboratory methods for determining specific storage are probably not representative of in situ conditions and may lead to overestimation of aquitard permeability. Much of the theory developed to date depends on the assumption that horizontal displacement of the solid material is negligible, and this may not be a valid assumption for highly deformable media such as clay aquitards. However, with judicious selection of the most suitable methods for a particular site, good test design, careful instrumentation, and respect for the underlying assumptions, reliable determinations of aquitard permeability can be obtained. Electronic Publication     

Review: Micro-organic contaminants in groundwater in China

Micro-organic contaminants (MOs) in groundwater, which may have adverse effects on human health and ecosystems worldwide, are gaining increased attention in China. A great deal of research has been conducted to investigate their sources, occurrences and behavior in aquifers. This paper reviews the main sources, distribution, concentrations and behavior of a wide range of MOs in groundwater in China. These MOs include well-established persistent organic pollutants—polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (poly brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalic acid esters (PAEs), bisphenol A (BPA)—and some contaminants of emerging concern such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (antibiotics, caffeine, shampoos) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). The results reveal that the main MOs in groundwater are PAHs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), PBDEs, PAEs, and antibiotics. Moreover, some PFCs such as perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have only recently been observed in groundwater as emerging organic contaminants. Additionally, most MOs are distributed in populated and industrialized areas such as the southeast coast of China. Finally, industrial emissions, wastewater treatment plant effluents and agricultural wastewater are found to be dominant sources of MOs in groundwater. Based on the existing pollution levels, regulation and amelioration of MOs are warranted.     

Intrinsic and specific vulnerability of groundwater in central Spain: the risk of nitrate pollution

The intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater in the Comunidad de Madrid (central Spain) was evaluated using the DRASTIC and GOD indexes. Groundwater vulnerability to nitrate pollution was also assessed using the composite DRASTIC (CD) and nitrate vulnerability (NV) indexes. The utility of these methods was tested by analyzing the spatial distribution of nitrate concentrations in the different aquifers located in the study area: the Tertiary Detrital Aquifer, the Moor Limestone Aquifer, the Cretaceous Limestone Aquifer and the Quaternary Aquifer. Vulnerability maps based on these four indexes showed very similar results, identifying the Quaternary Aquifer and the lower sub-unit of the Moor Limestone Aquifer as deposits subjected to a high risk of nitrate pollution due to intensive agriculture. As far as the spatial distribution of groundwater nitrate concentrations is concerned, the NV index showed the greatest statistical significance (p?<?0.01). This new type of multiplicative model offers greater accuracy in estimations of specific vulnerability with respect to the real impact of each type of land use. The results of this study provide a basis on which to guide the designation of nitrate vulnerable zones in the Comunidad de Madrid, in line with European Union Directive 91/676/EEC.     

1986—2019年黑龙江省松嫩平原表层土壤有机碳变化及固碳潜力估算

土壤有机碳(SOC)是评价土壤肥力和固碳能力的重要指标。因此,研究土壤有机碳的变化,对准确评价区域土壤固碳潜力,实现土壤资源的可持续利用具有重要的意义。利用黑龙江省第二次土壤普查数据和2019年实测土壤数据,运用GIS空间分析方法,分析了1986—2019年黑龙江省松嫩平原表层(0~20 cm)土壤有机碳密度(SOCD)的时空变化特征,运用土壤类型法估算了土壤有机碳储量,运用平衡法估算了土壤固碳潜力。结果表明:30多年来表层SOCD平均减少1.06 kg/m²,SOCD减少的地区主要分布在黑龙江省松嫩平原中部和东南部地区;表层SOC储量减少约143.99 Tg,SOC储量减少较多的土壤类型是草甸土、黑钙土和黑土,三者减少量占总SOC储量减少量的84.55%;当前黑龙江省松嫩平原表层土壤固碳潜力为-2.08 Tg,其中暗棕壤、白浆土、黑土为正潜力,其余土壤类型为负潜力。建议通过增施有机化肥、秸秆还田、推广免耕少耕等方法措施,以提高松嫩平原土壤固碳潜力。     

Soil organic carbon fractions and microbial community and functions under changes in vegetation: a case of vegetation succession in karst forest

The vegetation community succession influences soil nutrient cycling, and this process is mediated by soil microorganisms in the forest ecosystem. A degraded succession series of karst forests were chosen in which vegetation community changed from deciduous broadleaved trees (FO) toward shrubs (SH), and shrubs–grasses (SHG) in the southwest China. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), labile organic carbon (LOC), water extractable organic matter (WEOM), microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen (MBC and MBN), bacterial and fungal diversity, as well as soil enzyme activities were tested. The results showed that SOC, LOC, MBC, MBN, and enzyme activities declined with vegetation succession, with the relatively stronger decrease of microbial biomass and functions, whereas WEOM was higher in SHG than in other systems. In addition, soil bacterial and fungal composition in FO was different from both SH and SHG. Despite positive relationship with SOC, LOC, and TN (p < 0.01), MBC, MBN appeared to be more significantly correlated to LOC than to SOC. It suggested that vegetation conversion resulted in significant changes in carbon fractions and bioavailability, furthermore, caused the change in soil microbial community and function in the forest ecosystem.     

Using hydrogeochemistry to understand inter-aquifer mixing in the on-shore part of the Gippsland Basin,southeast Australia

Groundwater in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland Basin of southeast Australia is important for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. This sedimentary basin contains a number of aquifers that are used for water supply, dewatered for open pit coal mining, and which are potentially influenced by off-shore oil and gas production. Major ion chemistry together with stable and Sr isotope data imply that the main hydrogeochemical processes are evapotranspiration with minor silicate and carbonate weathering; methanogenesis and SO₄ reduction in reduced groundwater associated with coal deposits have also occurred. Groundwater has estimated ¹⁴C ages of up to 36 ka and is largely ³H free. Carbon-14 ages are irregularly distributed and poorly correlated with depth and distance from the basin margins. The observations that the geochemistry of groundwater in aquifers with different mineralogies are similar and the distribution of ¹⁴C ages is irregular implies that the aquifers are hydraulically connected and horizontal as well as vertical inter-aquifer mixing occurs. The connection of shallow and deeper aquifers poses a risk for the groundwater resources in Gippsland as contaminants can migrate across aquifers and dewatering of shallow units may impact deeper parts of the groundwater system.     

土壤碳及其在地球表层系统碳循环中的意义

本文回顾了近１０年来国内外对土壤碳研究的主要进展,分析了土壤碳的移动性及其影响因素,着重针对陆地系统碳汇饱和问题介绍了土壤碳对大气CO²源汇效应的碳转移过程及其在地球表层系统碳循环中的作用,指出应加强对土壤碳转移及其对全球变化的响应、土壤碳固存对大气CO²调控的机制和动态的研究,以便为缓解陆地系统碳汇饱和提供科学依据。     

Potential nitrate pollution of groundwater in Germany: A supraregional differentiated model

Implemented on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT), a model is developed to trace the nutrient flow of nitrate in the soil and the groundwater on a supraregional scale. Research work is intended to indicate regionally differentiated hazardous potentials and thereby provide a basis for recommending comprehensive measures to protect groundwater in Germany. The adaption of the model to the hydrogeological and agricultural conditions of other states is possible in principle. This article focuses on the hydrogeological model parts. A high nitrate pollution of groundwater can be expected in all regions with intensive agricultural use of the topsoil. In particular, groundwater in solid rock areas is susceptible to nitrate pollution. There a rapid groundwater turnover and thus a short residence time for the groundwater in the aquifer is typical. Oxidizing aquifer conditions usually prevail in solid rock aquifers, preventing nitrate degradation. In many loose rock areas, in contrast, the groundwater has a low flow velocity and a long residence time in the aquifer. Because of a lack of free oxygen, a complete degradation of nitrate can occur, as long as iron sulfide compounds and/or organic carbon are available in the aquifer. A more detailed presentation of the whole research work is given in Wendland et al. (1993).     

Pesticide behaviour in Quaternary sediments

Pesticides are very often spread in agricultural and forest areas covering important groundwater bodies in Quaternary sand and gravel deposits. They are mostly synthetic organic chemicals used for plant protection against predators and competing herbs. According to their radius of action they can be separated into herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, acaricides, molluscicides, rodenticides, fungicides, and bactericides. With respect to the risks of groundwater contamination by pesticides, only the first three groups are of interest. For a risks assessment of groundwater contamination, detailed knowledge of the geochemical behaviour of the pesticides and of the physico-chemical processes controlling their persistence and transport in the sediments is necessary. These processes can be summarized as dissolution/precipitation, adsorption/ desorption, degradation and transport processes in the soil in the unsaturated and saturated zones. Furthermore, the type of plant production being established in the area has to be considered. In the case of crop rotation the applied pesticides are changed every year and the risk of groundwater contamination is normally low because of retardation and degradation. In soils used for special-purpose crops, an accumulation of pesticide residues is possible, because the same substances are applied every year. Especially on sandy soils the leaching of residues can lead to severe groundwater contamination.     

The role of labile sulfur compounds in thermochemical sulfate reduction

The reduction of sulfate to sulfide coupled with the oxidation of hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide, commonly referred to as thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR), is an important abiotic alteration process that most commonly occurs in hot carbonate petroleum reservoirs. In the present study we focus on the role that organic labile sulfur compounds play in increasing the rate of TSR. A series of gold-tube hydrous pyrolysis experiments were conducted with n-octane and CaSO₄ in the presence of reduced sulfur (e.g. H₂S, S°, organic S) at temperatures of 330 and 356 °C under a constant confining pressure. The in-situ pH was buffered to 3.5 (∼6.3 at room temperature) with talc and silica. For comparison, three types of oil with different total S and labile S contents were reacted under similar conditions. The results show that the initial presence of organic or inorganic sulfur compounds increases the rate of TSR. However, organic sulfur compounds, such as 1-pentanethiol or diethyldisulfide, were significantly more effective in increasing the rate of TSR than H₂S or elemental sulfur (on a mole S basis). The increase in rate is achieved at relatively low concentrations of 1-pentanethiol, less than 1 wt% of the total n-octane, which is comparable to the concentration of organic S that is common in many oils (∼0.3 wt%). We examined several potential reaction mechanisms to explain the observed reactivity of organic LSC. First, the release of H₂S from the thermal degradation of thiols was discounted as an important mechanism due to the significantly greater reactivity of thiol compared to an equivalent amount of H₂S. Second, we considered the generation of olefines in association with the elimination of H₂S during thermal degradation of thiols because olefines are much more reactive than n-alkanes during TSR. In our experiments, olefines increased the rate of TSR, but were less effective than 1-pentanethiol and other organic LSC. Third, the thermal decomposition of organic LSC creates free-radicals that in turn might initiate a radical chain-reaction that creates more reactive species. Experiments involving radical initiators, such as diethyldisulfide and benzyldisulfide, did not show an increase in reactivity compared to 1-pentanethiol. Therefore, we conclude that none of these can sufficiently explain our observations of the initial stages of TSR; they may, however, be important in the later stages. In order to gain greater insight into the potential mechanism for the observed reactivity of these organic sulfur compounds during TSR, we applied density functional theory-based molecular modeling techniques to our system. The results of these calculations indicate that 1-pentanethiol or its thermal degradation products may directly react with sulfate and reduce the activation energy required to rupture the first S-O bond through the formation of a sulfate ester. This study demonstrates the importance of labile sulfur compounds in reducing the onset timing and temperature of TSR. It is therefore essential that labile sulfur concentrations are taken into consideration when trying to make accurate predictions of TSR kinetics and the potential for H₂S accumulation in petroleum reservoirs.     

骆驼山煤矿不同含水层水中荧光性DOM分布特征

结合骆驼山煤矿不同含水层水文地质条件,通过检测分析各含水层水中天然有机质三维荧光光谱、总有机碳TOC和无机阴离子,研究了荧光性溶解有机物(Dissolved Organic Matter,DOM)的分布特征,结果表明:TOC和有机物在254 mm波长紫外光下的吸光度UV₂₅₄整体上随着含水层层位加深而减少,奥灰水中TOC和UV₂₅₄比其他水体分别低2~3.3倍和2.4~4.7倍;有机物芳香度也逐渐降低,紫外吸光度SUVA值在地表水、第四系水、砂岩水和奥灰水中分别为3.28、2.27、2.24和1.96。地表水和第四系水的三维荧光光谱(3DEEM)图存在5个指纹区域,随着地层层位的加深,水中有机物总体上呈递减趋势,最深层的奥灰水中没有酪氨酸、疏水性有机酸和海洋性腐植酸,而色氨酸的荧光强度比其他水体都高,表明地下水中有机物会反应生成色氨酸类有机物。奥灰水中TOC随着地下水流向逐渐减少(从0.27 mg/L减少至0.22 mg/L);有机物反应生成色氨酸,导致色氨酸FI随着水流而逐渐增加;根据3DEEM光谱图,骆驼山煤矿区奥灰水中有机物比较稳定,能够明显区分出其作为突水水源的特征离子。      

Early diagenetic processes in coastal marine sediments disturbed by a catastrophic sedimentation event

Following a catastrophic flash flood in July 1996, as much as 50 cm of post-glacial clays were deposited in less than 2 days in the upper reaches of the Saguenay Fjord (Quebec, Canada), disrupting the normal sedimentation and diagenetic regimes. We report detailed geochemical analyses of sediments (porosity, Eh, organic and inorganic carbon, Fe and Mn reactive solid phases, and acid volatile sulfide) and porewaters (salinity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), Fe(II), Mn(II), nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate) for seven stations located in the Saguenay Fjord. Three of these (SAG-05, SAG-09, and SAG-30) were visited in 1996 and once per year thereafter to document the chemical evolution of the sediment toward a new steady state. The flood deposits contain less organic carbon and more inorganic carbon than the indigenous fjord sediments. The flood deposit modified the distribution patterns of reactive Mn and Fe as a result of the reduction of Mn and Fe oxides delivered with the deposit and those concentrated at the now buried former sediment-water interface. Most of the Mn(II) migrated to the new sediment-water interface, where a Mn-rich layer was formed. In contrast, much of the Fe(II) was precipitated as sulfides and remained trapped at or close to the old interface. A nitrate peak developed in the porewater at the old sediment-water interface, possibly because of the oxidation of ammonia by Mn oxides. The distributions of porewater DOC within the flood deposit correlate with the distributions of dissolved Mn(II) and Fe(II), suggesting that adsorbed DOC was released when metal oxides were reduced.     

The role of karst in the genesis of sulfur deposits, Pre-Carpathian region, Ukraine

 Most of exogeneous epigenetic sulfur deposits are clearly associated with intensely karstified carbonate and sulfate rocks. This paper demonstrates, using the Pre-Carpathian region as an example, that karstification is one of the most important processes controlling the formation of sulfur deposits. This is determined by a coincidence of some major prerequisites of these two processes. In the Podol'sky and Bukovinsky regions the Miocene aquifer system is well drained by erosion valleys; the giant network caves known here in gypsum formed under past artesian conditions. In the region of sulfur deposits, associated with the same karstified gypsum strata, true artesian conditions still prevail. Hydrogeologic data show that abundant cavities detected in the vicinity of sulfur deposits can be interpreted as having the same origin as the fossil caves of the Podol'sky and Bukovinsky regions. The current widespread belief that the gypsum/anhydrite stratum in the region is aquifuge separating the Miocene aguifers is inadequate. This belief caused much controversy with regard to the genetic interpretations of sulfur deposits in the region. Caves formed by the upward water flow through the gypsum/anhydrite stratum govern the water exchange between the aquifers within the aquifer system. A new karst model for the formation of sulfur deposits is suggested. It agrees well with the hydrogeological features of the Miocene sequence and with biogeochemical mechanisms of sulfur origin in low-temperature diagenetic environments. Received: 16 February 1995 · Accepted: 4 June 1996