Combining radon, short-lived radium isotopes and hydrodynamic modeling to assess submarine groundwater discharge from an anthropized semiarid watershed to a Mediterranean lagoon (Mar Menor, SE Spain)

• Published in: Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam) 2015-06, Vol.525, p.55-71
• Main Authors: Baudron, Paul, Cockenpot, Sabine, Lopez-Castejon, Francisco, Radakovitch, Olivier, Gilabert, Javier, Mayer, Adriano, Garcia-Arostegui, José Luis, Martinez-Vicente, David, Leduc, Christian, Claude, Christelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Continental interfaces, environment; Discharge; Freshwater; Groundwater; Hydrodynamic modeling; Lagoons; Nitrate; Radium; Radon; Reverse osmosis desalination; Sciences of the Universe; Submarine groundwater discharge; Summer; Surface water; Watersheds
• ISSN: 0022-1694; 1879-2707
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.03.015

•SGD assessment of a lagoon using 222Rn, 224Ra and 223Ra radionuclides and hydrodynamic modeling.•Tracing the radionuclide plume of a river into a hypersaline Mediterranean lagoon.•Localization of major areas of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD).•Uncertainties are provided on the parameters of the radionuclide mass balance.•Recirculated Saline Groundwater Discharge (RSGD) accounts for most of SGD. In highly anthropized watersheds, surface water tributaries may carry unexpected high quantities of radon and radium to coastal lagoons. Investigating submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) with radionuclide tracers is therefore a complex task. In order to quantify SGD and decipher the influence of the different water sources, we combined a radon (222Rn) and short-lived radium (223Ra, 224Ra) survey with the hydrodynamic modeling of a lagoon. We applied it to the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain) where surface water tributaries and undocumented emissaries carry water from groundwater drainage and brines from groundwater desalinization. We identified the areas of influence of the plume of radionuclides from the river, located major areas of SGD and proposed a location for two submarine emissaries. Porewater, i.e. interstitial water from underlying sediments, was found to be the most representative SGD end member, compared to continental groundwater collected from piezometers. Mass balances in winter and summer seasons provided yearly SGD fluxes of water of 0.4–2.2⋅108m3/y (222Rn), 4.4–19.0⋅108m3/y (224Ra) and 1.3⋅108m3/y (223Ra, measured in winter only). Tidal pumping was identified as a main driver for recirculated saline groundwater, while fresh submarine groundwater discharge from the aquifer ranged between 2% and 23% of total SGD.