Regional ground-water mixing and the origin of saline fluids: Midcontinent, United States

Journal Article · Fri Mar 26 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.259.5103.1877· OSTI ID:6389755

Musgrove, M; Banner, J L ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin (United States)

Ground waters in three adjacent regional flow systems in the midcontinent exhibit extreme chemical and isotopic variations that delineate large-scale fluid flow and mixing processes and two distinct mechanisms for the generation of saline fluids. Systematic spatial variations of major ion concentrations, H, O, and Sr isotopic compositions, and ground-water migration pathways indicate that each flow system contains water of markedly different origin. Mixing of the three separate ground waters exerts a fundamental control on ground-water composition. The three ground waters are: (i) dilute meteoric water recharged in southern Missouri; (ii) saline Na-Ca-Cl water in southeastern Kansas of far-traveled meteoric origin that acquired its salinity by halite dissolution; and (iii) Na-Ca-Cl brines in north-central Oklahoma that may have originated as Paleozoic seawater. 45 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 6389755
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 259:5103; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GROUND WATER
MIXING
ORIGIN
IONS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
BRINES
DISSOLUTION
FLUID FLOW
HALITE
HYDROGEN
KANSAS
METEORIC WATER
MISSOURI
OKLAHOMA
OXYGEN
SALINITY
SEAWATER
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
HALIDE MINERALS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MINERALS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
USA
WATER
540210* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)