A Multi-Isotope (B, Sr, O, H, C) and Age Dating (3H-3He, 14C) Study of Ground Water From Salinas Valley, California: Hydrochemistry, Dynamics, and Contamination Processes
The chemical and isotopic ({sup 11}B/{sup 10}B, {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr, {sup 18}O/{sup 16}O, {sup 2}H/H, {sup 13}C/{sup 12}C, {sup 14}C, {sup 3}He/{sup 3}H) compositions of groundwater from the upper aquifer system of the Salinas Valley in coastal central California were investigated in order to delineate the origin and processes of groundwater contamination in this complex system. The Salinas Valley has a relatively deep, confined ''400-foot'' aquifer, overlain by a ''180-foot'' aquifer, and a shallower perched aquifer, all made up of alluvial sand, gravel, and clay deposits. Groundwater from the aquifers have different {sup 14}C ages; fossil ({sup 14}C = 21.3 pmc) for the 400-foot, and modern ({sup 14}C = 72.2 to 98.2 pmc) for the 180-foot. Fresh groundwater in all aquifers is recharged naturally and artificially and through the Salinas River. The two modes of recharge can be distinguished chemically. We identified several different saline components with distinguishable chemical and isotopic fingerprints. (1) Salt-water intrusion in the northern basin has Cl concentrations up to 1700 mg/l, a Na/Cl ratio <sea water, a marine Br/Cl ratio, a Ca/Cl ratio >seawater, {delta}{sup 11}B between +17 and +38 per mil, and {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr between 0.7088 and 0.7096. Excess dissolved Ca, relative to the expected concentration for simple dilution of seawater, correlates with {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios, suggesting base exchange reaction with clay minerals. (2) Agriculture return flow is high in NO{sub 3} and SO{sub 4}, with a {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr = 0.7082, {delta}{sup 11}B = 19 per mil; and {delta}{sup 13}C between -23 and -17 per mil. The {sup 3}H-{sup 3}He ages (5-17 years) and {sup 14}C data suggest vertical infiltration rates of irrigation water of 3 to 10 m/yr. (3) Non-marine saline water in the southern part of the valley has high TDS up to 3800 mg/l, high SO{sub 4}, Na/Cl ratio >1, {delta}{sup 11}B between +24 and +30 per mil, and {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr = 0.70852. This groundwater may have acquired its geochemical signature from leaching of sedimentary rocks associated with the Coast Range marine deposits of Mesozoic to early Cenozoic age. The combination of different geochemical and isotopic fingerprints enables us to delineate the impact of salt sources in different areas of the valley and to reconstruct the Origin of the SO{sub 4}-enriched NO{sub 3}-depleted saline plume that is located west of the city of Salinas. We suggest that the latter is derived from a mixture of different natural saline waters rather than from anthropogenic contamination.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 15002099
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-147271; TRN: US200408%%79
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Aug 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Salinization of porewater in a multiple aquitard-aquifer system in Jiangsu coastal plain, China
Geochemical and Sr isotopic variations in groundwaters of the Edwards aquifer, central Texas