Exploring hydraulic connections between brine mining wells is of great significance to the development of geological resources; however, there are still challenges to accurately identifying these connections. In this study, a combination of hydrochemical and biological analyses was used to investigate the hydraulic connections between three saltworks (Yangkou, Hanting, and Changyi) in southern Laizhou Bay, China. The results showed that the groundwater recharge sources at Yangkou saltworks, and therefore the associated salts and hydrochemical composition of the brine, were different from those of the other two saltworks. The diversity and composition of the microbial community among the three saltworks were identified based on a high-throughput DNA sequencing method. The brines of Hanting and Changyi saltworks had greater similarity in terms of microbial diversity and composition, which was consistent with the hydrochemical results. Based on microbial analysis combined with hydrochemistry, the depths of the mining wells at Hanting saltworks were identified, along with the hydraulic connection with Changyi saltworks. As a tool to judge the hydraulic connections of geological reservoirs, microbial analysis combined with hydrochemistry may be applicable to a wider range of subsurface resources, such as oil and gas, which will provide new ideas for the rational development of underground resources.
The northern Wuyi area, which is located in the northern Wuyi metallogenic belt, has superior mineralization conditions. The Pingxiang–Guangfeng–Jiangshan–Shaoxing fault (PSF) extends across the whole region regardless of whether or how the PSF relates to the near-surface mineralization. We carried out an MT survey in the region and obtained a reliable 2D model of the crustal electrical structure to a depth of 30 km. In the resistivity model, we inferred that a continuous high conductivity belt that ranges from the shallow to deep crust is a part of the PSF. Then, we estimated the fluid content and pressure gradient to identify the deep sources of fluid as well as its pattern of motion pattern. Finally, we proposed a model for the deep metallogenic migration processes that combines geological data, fluid content data, pressure gradient data, and the subsurface resistivity model. The model analysis showed that the Jiangnan orogenic belt and the Cathaysia block formed the PSF during the process of com. The deep fluid migrated upward through the PSF to the shallow crust. Therefore, we believe that the PSF is an ore-forming fluid migration channel and that it laid the material basis for large-scale mineralization in the shallow crust. 相似文献