| Research Articles |
|
|
|
|
| Groundwater hydrochemistry and isotope geochemistry in the Turpan Basin, northwestern China |
| Lu CHEN1*, GuangCai WANG1, FuSheng HU1, YaJun WANG1, Liang LIU2 |
1 School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China;
2 The First Brigade of Hydrogeology, Xinjiang Bureau of Geology and Minerals, Urumqi 830002, China |
|
|
|
Abstract The Turpan Basin is located in the arid zone of northwestern China and is a typical closed inland basin surrounded by high mountains. It is one of the most arid regions in the world and, as a result, the groundwater in this area is very important for both domestic and agricultural uses. In the present study, the relationships of major elements (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−, SO42− and Cl−) and environmental isotopes (δ18O, δ2H and T) in groundwater were analyzed to investigate the evolution of the regional hydrochemistry within the Turpan Basin. The hydrochemistry results demonstrate that groundwater with high total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration is dominated by sodium chloride (Na-Cl) and sodium sulfate (Na-SO4) type water, whereas that with low TDS concentration (typically from near mountain areas) is dominated by calcium bicarbonate (Ca-HCO3) type water. The evolution of groundwater hydrochemistry within the Turpan Basin is a result of calcium carbonate precipitation, evaporation concentration, cation exchange and dissolution of evaporites (i.e. halite, mirabilite and gypsum). Furthermore, evaporite dissolution associated with irrigation practice plays a key role in the groundwater salinization, especially in the central part of the basin. Environmental isotopes reveal that the groundwater is recharged by precipitation in the mountain areas and fast vertical infiltration of irrigation return flow. In the southern sub-basin the shallow groundwater and the deep groundwater is separated at a depth of about 40 m, with substantial differences in terms of hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics. The results are useful for decision making related to sustainable water resource utilization in the Turpan Basin and other regions in northwestern China.
|
|
Received: 25 March 2013
Published: 12 August 2014
|
| Fund: This work was funded by Coal Base Groundwater Exploration (Eastern Xinjiang) under the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 358 Project. |
|
Corresponding Authors:
|
|
|
| Appelo C A J, Postma D. 2005. Geochemistry, Groundwater and Pollution, 2nd ed. Leiden: A.A. Balkema Publishers.Carol E, Kruse E, Mas-Pla J. 2009. Hydrochemical and isotopical evidence of ground water salinization processes on the coastal plain of Samborombón Bay, Argentina. Journal of Hydrology, 365(3–4): 335–345.Chen M X. 1959. The law of the Turpan Basin hydrogeochemistry. Geological Sciences, (6): 185–192.Craig H. 1961. Standard for reporting concentrations of deuterium and oxygen-18 in natural waters. Science, 133(3467): 1833–1834.Fass T, Cook P G, Stieglitz T, et al. 2007. Development of saline ground water through transpiration of sea water. Ground Water, 45(6): 703–710.García M G, Hidalgo M V, Blesa M A. 2001. Geochemistry of groundwater in the alluvial plain of Tucumán province, Argentina. Hydrogeology Journal, 9(6): 597–610.Ghabayen S M S, Mckee M, Kemblowski M. 2006. Ionic and isotopic ratios for identification of salinity sources and missing data in the Gaza aquifer. Journal of Hydrology, 318(1–4): 360–373.Guo H M, Wang Y X. 2005. Geochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater in Datong basin, northwestern China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 87(3): 109–120.Halik Abdirahman, Jalalidin Abdusalam, Bian Z F. 2009. Discussion on the water resources and their rational development and utilization in Turpan Basin. System Sciences and Comprehensive Studies in Agriculture, 25(3): 355–360.Han Y. 2008. Characters of the groundwater flow field and hydrochemistry field in Datong Basin. Geological Survey and Research, 31(2): 138–146.Howard K W F, Lioyd J W. 1983. Major ion characterization of coastal saline ground waters. Ground Water, 21(4): 429–437.IAEA. 2001a. Isotope techniques in water resource investigations in arid and semi-arid regions. Iaea-Tecdoc-1207.IAEA. 2001b. Isotope based assessment of groundwater renewal in water scarce regions. Iaea-Tecdoc-1246.Li H, Jiang Z C, Wang Y, et al. 2009. Variation characteristics of stable isotopes in the precipitation of Xinjiang. Research of Soil and Water Conservation, 16(5): 157–161.Li W P, Zhou H C, Zhou Y X, et al. 1995. The Typical Arid Area of Northwest China Groundwater Flow System. Beijing: Seismological Press.Qu H L. 1991. Assessment of Groundwater Resources in the Arid and Semiarid Land of China. Beijing: Science Press.Shi Y F, Zhang X S. 1995. The influence of climate changes on the water resources in arid areas of northwest China. Science in China (Series B), 25(9): 968–977.Subyani A M. 2004. Use of chloride-mass balance and environmental isotopes for evaluation of groundwater recharge in the alluvial aquifer, Wadi Tharad, western Saudi Arabia. Environmental Geology, 46(6–7): 741–749.Wang J Y. 2002. Isotope hydrology and water resources plus hydro-environment. Earth Science-Journal of China University of Geosciences, 27(5): 532–533.Wang Y J, Wu S F. 2003. Environment change over the Aydingkol Lake region in Turpan Basin, Xinjiang. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 25(2): 229–231.Zhou H F, Zhang J B. 2005. Analysis on the volume of available water resources and its carrying capacity in Xinjiang, China. Arid Land Geography, 28(6): 756–763. |
|
Viewed |
|
|
|
Full text
|
|
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
|
Cited |
|
|
|
|
| |
Shared |
|
|
|
|
| |
Discussed |
|
|
|
|
