Monitoring of flow field based on stable isotope geochemical characteristics in deep groundwater

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2011-08, Vol.179 (1-4), p.487-498
• Main Authors: Chen, Lu-wang, Gui, He-rong, Yin, Xiao-xi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquifers; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Carboniferous; Coal; Coal mines; Coal mining; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental engineering; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh Water - chemistry; Geochemistry; Geological Phenomena; Groundwater; Groundwater flow; Groundwater mining; Hydrogen; Hydrogeology; Hydrology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Isotope geochemistry; Isotope geochemistry. Geochronology; Isotopes; Limestone; Mineralogy; Mining; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Oceans; Ordovician; Oxygen Isotopes - analysis; Permian; Salinity; Sandstone; Silicates; Stable isotopes; Stone; Studies; Surface water; Water circulation; Water geochemistry; Water Movements
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1751-6

The water circulation in deep aquifers controls not only chemical composition of the groundwater, but also stable isotope composition. In order to analyze the flow field in the process of the deep groundwater circulation in different aquifers, specimens belonging to the fourth aquifer in the Quaternary (the fourth aquifer for short), the coal and sandstone cranny aquifer in the Permian, and Carboniferous (the coal catena aquifer for short), the Taiyuan group limestone aquifer in the Carboniferous (the Taiyuan limestone aquifer for short), and the limestone aquifer in the Ordovician (the Ordovician limestone aquifer for short) were gained from the top down in Renlou colliery and local Linhuan coalmine district, northern Anhui, China, in the study. δ D, δ 18 O, and the content of tall dissolve solids (TDS for short) of these specimens were tested. The experimental results had revealed that the groundwater in the fourth aquifer and the Taiyuan limestone aquifer takes on 18 O excursion and the coal catena aquifer takes on D excursion in Linhuan coalmine district, while excursion characteristic in the Ordovician limestone aquifer is not evident in the coalmine district. By analysis, δ 18 O and the content of TDS are in negative relationship in the groundwater of the fourth aquifer and the Taiyuan limestone aquifer in Linhuan coalmine district, yet δ D and the content of TDS are in positive relationship in the coal catena aquifer. Mining greatly influences the fourth aquifer and the coal catena aquifer so the groundwater in the fourth aquifer flows from northwest and southeast to mining areas and the groundwater in the coal catena aquifer flows from around to mining areas. However, mining does not influence the Taiyuan limestone aquifer evidently so the groundwater flows from east to west still.