Using water isotopes and hydrogeochemical evidences to characterize groundwater age and recharge rate in the Zhangjiakou area, North China

doi:10.1007/s11442-020-1763-2

Abstract

Abstract:

Despite the increasing depletion of the groundwater at the Zhangjiakou aquifer system in the northwest of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, little information is available on the hydrological process of groundwater in this region. In this study, we utilized water isotopes composition (δ¹⁸O, δD and³H) of groundwater, river and precipitation to identify the characteristics of hydrochemistry, groundwater age and recharge rates in different watersheds of the Zhangjiakou area. Results showed that the river water and groundwater could be characterized as HCO₃-Mg·Na, HCO₃·Cl-Na and HCO₃-Mg·Na, HCO₃·Cl-Na, HCO₃·Cl-Na·Mg types, respectively. The δD and δ¹⁸O values in precipitation were linearly correlated, which is similar to the Global Meteorological Water Line (GMWL). Furthermore, the decreasing values of the δD and δ¹⁸O from precipitation to surface water and groundwater indicate that groundwater is mainly recharged by atmospheric precipitation. In addition, the variation of³H concentration with depth suggests that groundwater shallower than around 100 m is generally modern water. In contrast, groundwater deeper around 100 m is a mixture of modern and old waters, which has longer residence times. Groundwater showed a relatively low tritium concentration in the confined aquifers, indicating the groundwater recharged might be relatively old groundwater of over 60 years. The flow velocity of the groundwater in the study area varied from 1.10 to 2.26 m/a, and the recharge rates ranged from 0.034 to 0.203 m/a. The obtained findings provide important insights into understanding the groundwater recharge sources and hydrochemistry in the Zhangjiakou area, in turn developing a sustainable groundwater management plan.

Key words: hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, tritium isotope, water cycle, groundwater, Zhangjiakou

ZHANG Qinghua, LUO Zhuanxi, LU Wen, HARALD Zepp, ZHAO Yufeng, TANG Jialiang. Using water isotopes and hydrogeochemical evidences to characterize groundwater age and recharge rate in the Zhangjiakou area, North China[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2020, 30(6): 935-948.

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Site	Sampling	Water type^a	Well depth (m)	pH	EC (us.cm^-1)	TDS (mg·L^-1)	δD (‰)	δ¹⁸O (‰)	d-excess (‰)
Zhangbei G n=6, S n=3	GJL	G	45	7.41	1014.3	595	-81.80	-11.9	13.8
	ZBM	G	23	7.37	1800.7	1078.8	-76.28	-11.2	13.1
	AGL2	S	/	7.43	1134.3	625.5	-73.02	-11.0	15.0
Sanggan river basin G n=9, S n=3	DTW	G	181	8.16	816.0	463.2	-94.84	-13.4	12.7
	QJSW	G	70	8.07	2398.0	1331.5	-93.06	-13.1	11.5
	HSY	G	41	8.15	394.8	219.6	-81.24	-11.8	12.8
	SGH	S	/	8.16	1019.0	578.0	-73.64	-10.5	10.0
Qingshui river basin G n=18, S n=6	CJ	G	80	7.41	483.0	281.3	-88.33	-13.4	18.9
	DXZ	G	111	7.52	817.7	482.8	-77.84	-11.2	11.7
	ST	G	120	7.42	1002.3	580	-79.74	-11.9	15.1
	QZRL	G	90	7.23	1465.7	835	-77.28	-11.6	15.2
	GS	G	8.55	7.28	658.0	386.7	-80.64	-12.0	15.2
	GJY	G	70	7.14	693.0	417.2	-83.30	-12.5	16.4
	CH	S	/	7.74	328.7	191.0	-83.69	-11.9	11.5
	H1	S	/	8.40	471.3	292.0	-73.82	-10.3	8.9
Yanghe river basin G n=21, S n=15	CG	G	140	7.89	353.6	198.7	-74.91	-10.8	11.7
	DL	G	60	7.75	904.7	531.2	-67.97	-9.7	9.6
	Y1Z	G	103	7.68	585.0	348.2	-74.20	-10.9	12.9
	Y2Z	G	40	7.75	782.0	460.2	-69.15	-10.0	10.6
	XH	G	60	8.05	556.0	325.5	-78.33	-11.5	13.7
	XHY	G	150	7.90	862.4	462.0	-72.60	-10.5	11.6
	NG	G	100	7.86	761.3	461.5	-76.64	-11.2	13.1
	YH	S	/	8.22	738.3	433.7	-69.48	-9.8	9.0
	YX	S	/	8.20	993.0	606.2	-67.54	-9.3	7.1
	YHZ1	S	/	8.02	902.7	530.5	-63.83	-8.7	5.6
	YHZ2	S	/	8.27	710.3	424.5	-71.80	-10.0	8.3
	GT	S	/	8.15	1007.0	609.5	-66.70	-9.2	6.9

Seasons	δD (‰)			δ¹⁸O (‰)
Seasons	Min	Max	Mean	Min	Max	Mean
Spring (March to May)	-89.207	22.058	-41.625	-13.697	-0.479	-7.466
Summer (June to August)	-137.578	-9.806	-63.830	-19.120	-1.381	-10.074
Autumn (September to November)	-140.370	-30.687	-89.519	-20.393	-5.444	-14.149
Winter (December to February)	-124.621	-86.121	-107.781	-18.110	-14.230	-16.251