Baoqiang Ma

Institute of Geology and Geophysics

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Tianming Huang

Xi'an University of Science and Technology

Yin Long

Institute of Geology and Geophysics

Zhonghe Pang

Institute of Geology and Geophysics

Zhenbin Li

Huawei Technologies (China)

Zhang Fen

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Yiman Li

Shandong Agricultural University

Jie Li

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Jiao Tian

China Earthquake Administration

Zhi Li

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Cooperative Institutions

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Institute of Geology and Geophysics

China University of Geosciences (Beijing)

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

Northwest A&F University

Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology

Tongji University

Pre School Learning Alliance

Green Technology

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Origin of sulphate in the unsaturated zone and groundwater of a loess aquifer

Hydrological Processes (2021)

Yin Long Tianming Huang Zhang Fen Zhenbin Li Baoqiang Ma

Abstract The use of the sulphate mass balance (SMB) between precipitation and soil water as a supplementary method to estimate the diffuse recharge rate assumes that the sulphate in soil water originated entirely from atmospheric deposition; however, the origin of sulphate in soil and groundwater is often unclear, especially in loess aquifers. This study analysed the sulphur (δ 34 S‐SO 4 ) and oxygen (δ 18 O‐SO 4 ) isotopes of sulphate in precipitation, water‐extractable soil water, and shallow groundwater samples and used these data along with hydrochemical data to determine the sources of sulphate in the thick unsaturated zone and groundwater of a loess aquifer. The results suggest that sulphate in groundwater mainly originated from old precipitation. When precipitation percolates through the unsaturated zone to recharge groundwater, sulphates were rarely dissolved due to the formation of CaCO 3 film on the surface of sulphate minerals. The water‐extractable sulphate in the deep unsaturated zone (>10 m) was mainly derived from the dissolution of evaporite minerals and there was no oxidation of sulphide minerals during the extraction of soil water by elutriating soil samples with deionized water. The water‐extractable concentration of SO 4 was not representative of the actual SO 4 concentration in mobile soil water. Therefore, the recharge rate cannot be estimated by the SMB method using the water‐extractable concentration of SO 4 in the loess areas. This study is important for identifying sulphate sources and clarifying the proper method for estimating the recharge rate in loess aquifers.

10.1002/hyp.14166

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Citations (10)

How does precipitation recharge groundwater in loess aquifers? Evidence from multiple environmental tracers

Journal of Hydrology (2019)

Tianming Huang Baoqiang Ma Zhonghe Pang Zhi Li Zhenbin Li

Infiltration (HVAC)

Depression-focused recharge

10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.124532

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Citations (73)

Tracing the Origin of Groundwater Nitrate in an Area Affected by Acid Rain Using Dual Isotopic Composition of Nitrate

Geofluids (2019)

Tianming Huang Zhenbin Li Baoqiang Ma Yin Long

Acid rain with a relatively high concentration of ammonium and nitrate can accelerate rock weathering. However, its impact on groundwater nitrate is uncertain. This study evaluated the dual isotopic composition of nitrate ( δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - ) from precipitation to groundwater in a rural mountainous area affected by acid rain. The average concentration for NH 4 + is 1.25 mg/L and NO 3 - is 2.59 mg/L of acid rain. Groundwater NO 3 - concentrations ranged from <0.05 to 11.8 mg/L (baseline), and NH 4 + concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 0.28 mg/L. The results show that groundwater δ 18 O-NO 3 - values (-4.7‰ to +4.2‰) were lower than the values of rainfall δ 18 O-NO 3 - (+24.9‰ to +67.3‰), suggesting that rainfall NO 3 - contributes little to groundwater NO 3 - . Groundwater δ 15 N-NO 3 - values (+0.1‰ to +7.5‰) were higher than the values of δ 15 N-NO 3 - derived from the nitrification of rainfall NH 4 + (less than -4.7‰ in the study area), suggesting that nitrification of rainfall NH 4 + also contributes little to groundwater NO 3 - . This implies that rainfall NO 3 - and NH 4 + have been utilized. The dual isotopic composition of nitrate shows that baseline groundwater NO 3 - is derived mainly from nitrification of soil nitrogen. The denitrification process is limited in the groundwater system. This study shows that the rainfall NO 3 - and NH 4 + contribute little to groundwater NO 3 - , improving the understanding of the nitrogen cycle in areas with a high concentration of NH 4 + and NO 3 - in rainfall.

Acid rain

10.1155/2019/8964182

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The role of unsaturated zone in estimating groundwater recharge in arid and semiarid areas as depicted by geochemical tracers

E3S Web of Conferences (2019)

Tianming Huang Baoqiang Ma Yin Long Zhonghe Pang

In arid and semiarid area, the recharge rate is relatively limited and the unsaturated zone (UZ) is commonly thick. The moisture in the UZ may represent the water infiltrating from precipitation during the past decades to thousands of years. Therefore, the multiple geochemical tracers in soil moisture, including Cl (chloride mass balance), 3 H (tritium peak displacement), NO 3 , 2 H, 18 O, can be used to estimate diffuse recharge rate and related recharge characteristics. Based on 45 UZ profiles with maximum depth of 62 m in the Ordos Basin in NW China, a typical arid and semiarid area, we has used multiple geochemical tracers to study the following recharge informations: (1) reconstruction of groundwater recharge history, (2) determination of groundwater recharge mechanism, and (3) assessment of impact of vegetation changes on groundwater recharge. The results show that the soil texture (epically the shallow soil), vegetation and precipitation mainly control the recharge rate. This study also found that shallow groundwater in arid and semiarid areas is often not in equilibrium with near-surface boundary conditions. To estimate present recharge information, the UZ must be considered. The whole recharge process from precipitation to groundwater cannot be well understood unless the UZ have been included in arid and semiarid areas.

Depression-focused recharge

Water balance

10.1051/e3sconf/20199812007

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Citations (1)

Tracing nitrate source and transformation in a semiarid loess aquifer with the thick unsaturated zone

CATENA (2020)

Baoqiang Ma Tianming Huang Jie Li Zhenbin Li Yin Long

10.1016/j.catena.2020.105045

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Citations (23)

The Origin of Major Ions of Groundwater in a Loess Aquifer

Water (2019)

Tianming Huang Baoqiang Ma

When groundwater represents most of the world’s reserves of unfrozen freshwaters, water quality is commonly a limiting factor in quantifying usable fresh groundwater storage, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Tracing the origin of major ions is important to the understanding of hydrochemical evolution and water–rock interaction. Strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) are geochemically similar in terms of ionic radius and ionic charge and can substitute for each other in mineral lattices such as in carbonates and silicates. This allows the use of Sr as a proxy for Ca during water–rock interaction. Geochemical mass balance and carbon and strontium isotope techniques were employed to study the origin of each major ion (such as Na, Ca, Mg, Cl, and SO4) in a loess aquifer (there is 10% to 20% of carbonate in the loess). Geochemical mass balance between atmospheric deposition and groundwater shows that the Cl (average concentration of 5.5 mg/L) and SO4 (average concentration of 6.8 mg/L) in groundwater originated from atmospheric deposition. The dissolution of loess using acetic acid was used to analyze the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of carbonate (mainly deposited in continental environments). Groundwater 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.710677 to 0.712319) are consistent with 87Sr/86Sr ratios in carbonate (0.710329 to 0.711085) but are significantly lower than the whole-rock (0.715136 to 0.717155) and residue (0.719091 to 0.720438), suggesting that Ca and Mg mainly originated from the dissolution of carbonate in the loess aquifer. However, Na originated from the dissolution of albite, suggesting saturation controls the ability of dissolution. There are cation exchanges between Ca + Mg and Na, resulting in Na concentration increases and Ca + Mg concentration decreases in groundwater. This study is important to the understand of the origin of the major ions in groundwater and the geochemical processes in silicate-carbonate aquifers.

Carbonate minerals

Carbonate Ion

10.3390/w11122464

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Baseline Groundwater Quality before Shale Gas Development in Xishui, Southwest China: Analyses of Hydrochemistry and Multiple Environmental Isotopes (2H, 18O, 13C, 87Sr/86Sr, 11B, and Noble Gas Isotopes)

Water (2020)

Zhenbin Li Tianming Huang Baoqiang Ma Yin Long Zhang Fen

The baseline quality of pre-drilling shallow groundwater is essential for the evaluation of potential environmental impacts of shale gas development. The Xishui region in the northern Guizhou Province of Southwest China has the potential for shale gas development but there is a lack of commercial production. As for the future environmental concerns in this undeveloped area, this study presented the hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of shallow groundwater and its dissolved gas before shale gas development and determined the sensitive monitoring indicators. Results showed that shallow groundwater with an average pH of 7.73 had low total dissolved solids (TDS) ranging between 102 and 397 mg/L, with the main water chemistry types of HCO3-Ca and HCO3-Ca·Mg. The quality of most groundwater samples satisfied the drinking water standards of China. The mass concentration of dissolved methane in groundwater was below the detection limit (<0.01 mg/L), suggesting the low baseline value of hydrocarbon. The shallow groundwater was mainly recharged by local precipitation based on water isotopes. Water chemistry was modified by the dominant dissolution of carbonate rocks and partial dissolution of clastic rocks, as indicated by δ13C-DIC, 87Sr/86Sr, and δ11B. Evidence from carbon isotopes of dissolved methane and CO2 (δ13C-CH4 and δ13C-CO2) and noble gas isotopes (3He/4He and 4He/20Ne) demonstrated that the biogenic methane mainly originated from acetate fermentation and the dissolved noble gas was a result of the dissolution of air. Based on the geochemical and isotopic differences between shallow groundwater and flowback and produced water (including shale gas) from the Weiyuan and Fuling shale gas fields as well as shale gas from Xishui, this study has provided the sensitive monitoring indicators and methods for identifying potential pollution of regional shallow groundwater related to shale gas development in the future.

10.3390/w12061741

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Citations (11)