Bayesian evaluation of groundwater age distribution using radioactive tracers and anthropogenic chemicals

pre-printThe development of a Bayesian modeling approach for estimation of the age distribution of groundwater using radioactive isotopes and anthropogenic chemicals is described. The model considers the uncertainties associated with the measured tracer concentrations as well as the parameters affecting the concentration of tracers in the groundwater, and it provides the posterior probability densities of the parameters defining the groundwater age distribution using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method. The model also incorporates the effect of dissolution of aquifer minerals on diluting the 14C signature and the uncertainties associated with this process on the inferred age distribution parameters. Two demonstration modeling cases have been performed. First, the method was applied to simulated tracer concentrations at a discharge point of a hypothetical 2-D vertical aquifer with two recharge zones, leading to a mixed groundwater age distribution under different presumed uncertainties. When the error variance of the observed tracer concentrations is considered unknown, the method can estimate the parameters of the fitted exponential-lognormal distribution with a relatively narrow credible interval when five hypothetical samples are assumed to be collected at the discharge point. However, when a single sample is assumed, the credible intervals become wider, and credible estimations of the parameters are not obtained. Second, the method was applied to the data collected at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. In this demonstration application, nine different forms of presumed groundwater age distributions have been considered, including four single forms and five mixed forms, assuming the groundwater consists of distinct young and old fractions. For the medium geometrical standard deviation dc,i = 1.41, the model estimates a young groundwater age of between 0 and 350 years, with the largest odds being given to a mean age of approximately 100 years, and a fraction of young groundwater of between 15% to roughly 60%, with the largest odds for 30%. However, the method cannot definitively rule out larger fractions of young groundwater. The model provides a much more uncertain estimation of the age of old groundwater, with a credible interval of between 20,000 to 200,000 years

Persistence of artificial sweeteners in a 15-year-old septic system plume

pre-printGroundwater contamination from constituents such as NO3 -, often occurs where multiple sources are present making source identification difficult. This study examines a suite of major ions and trace organic constituents within a well defined septic system plume in southern Ontario, Canada (Long Point site) for their potential use as wastewater tracers. The septic system has been operating for 20 years servicing a large, seasonal-use campground and tritium/helium age dating indicates that the 200 m long monitored section of the plume is about 15 years old. Four parameters are elevated along the entire length of the plume as follows; the mean electrical conductivity value (EC) in the distal plume zone is 926 μS/cm which is 74% of the mean value below the tile bed, Na+ (14.7 33 mg/L) is 43%, an artificial sweetener, acesulfame (12.1 μg/L) is 23% and Cl- (71.5 mg/L) is 137%. EC and Cl- appear to be affected by dispersive dilution with overlying background groundwater that has lower EC but has locally higher Cl- as result of the use of a dust suppressant (CaCl2) in the campground. Na, in addition to advective dilution, could be depleted by weak adsorption. Acesulfame, in addition to the above processes could be influenced by increasing consumer use in recent years. Nonetheless, both Na+ and acesulfame remain elevated throughout the plume by factors of more than 100 and 40 1000 respectively compared to background levels, and are strong indicators of wastewater impact at this site. EC and Cl- are less useful because their contrast with background values is much less (EC) or because other sources are present (Cl-). Nutrients (NO3 -, NH4 +, PO4 3-, K+) and pathogens (E. coli) do not persist in the distal plume zone and are less useful as wastewater indicators here. The artificial sweetener, acesulfame, has persisted at high concentrations in the Long Point plume for at least 15 years (and this timing agrees with tritium/helium-3 dating) and this compound likely occurs at uniquely high concentrations in domestic wastewater. As such, it holds considerable promise as a powerful new tracer of wastewater impact in groundwater

Evaluating the use of strontium isotopes in tree rings to record the isotopic signal of dust deposited on the Wasatch Mountains

pre-printDust cycling from the Great Basin to the Rocky Mountains is an important component of ecological and hydrological processes. We investigated the use of strontium (Sr) concentrations and isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in tree rings as a proxy for dust deposition. We report Sr concentrations and isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) from atmospherically deposited dust, soil, bedrock, and tree rings from the Wasatch Mountains to investigate provenance of dust landing on the Wasatch Mountains and to determine if a dust Sr record is preserved in tree rings. Trees obtained a majority of their Sr from dust, making them a useful record of dust source and deposition. Dust contributions of Sr to soils were more than 94% over quartzite, 63% over granodiorite, and 50% over limestone. Dust contributions of Sr to trees were more than 85% in trees growing over quartzite, 55% over granodiorite, and between 0% and 92% over limestone. These findings demonstrate that a dust signal was preserved in some tree rings and reflects how Sr from dust and bedrock mixes within the soil. Trees growing over quartzite were most sensitive to dust. Changes in Sr isotope ratios for a tree growing over quartzite were interpreted as changes in dust source over time. This work has laid the foundation for using tree rings as a proxy for dust deposition over time

Tracer applications of noble gas radionuclides in the geosciences

pre-printNoble gas radionuclides, including 81Kr (t1/2 = 229,000 yr), 85Kr (t1/2 = 10.8 yr), and 39Ar (t1/2 = 269 yr), possess nearly ideal chemical and physical properties for studies of earth and environmental processes. Recent advances in Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA), a laser-based atom counting method, have enabled routine measurements of the radiokrypton isotopes, as well as the demonstration of the ability to measure 39Ar in environmental samples. Here we provide an overview of the ATTA technique, and a survey of recent progress made in several laboratories worldwide. We review the application of noble gas radionuclides in the geosciences and discuss how ATTA can help advance these fields, specifically: determination of groundwater residence times using 81Kr, 85Kr, and 39Ar; dating old glacial ice using 81Kr; and an 39Ar survey of the main water masses of the oceans, to study circulation pathways and estimate mean residence times. Other scientific questions involving deeper circulation of fluids in the Earth's crust and mantle are also within the scope of future applications. We conclude that the geoscience community would greatly benefit from an ATTA facility dedicated to this field, with instrumentation for routine measurements, as well as for research on further development of ATTA methods

Groundwater transit time distribution and mean from streambed sampling in an agricultural coastal plain watershed, North Carolina, USA

We measured groundwater apparent age (s) and seepage rate (v) in a sandy streambed using point-scale sampling and seepage blankets (a novel seepage meter). We found very similar MTT estimates from streambed point sampling in a 58 m reach (29 years) and a 2.5 km reach (31 years). The TTD for groundwater discharging to the stream was best fit by a gamma distribution model and was very similar for streambed point sampling in both reaches. Between adjacent point-scale and seepage blanket samples, water from the seepage blankets was generally younger, largely because blanket samples contained a fraction of ‘‘young’’ stream water. Correcting blanket data for the stream water fraction brought s estimates for most blanket samples closer to those for adjacent point samples. The MTT estimates from corrected blanket data were in good agreement with those from sampling streambed points adjacent to the blankets. Collectively, agreement among age-dating tracers, general accord between tracer data and piston-flow model curves, and large groundwater age gradients in the streambed, suggested that the piston flow apparent ages were reasonable estimates of the groundwater transit times for most samples. Overall, our results from two field campaigns suggest that groundwater collected in the streambed can provide reasonable estimates of apparent age of groundwater discharge, and that MTT can be determined from different agedating tracers and by sampling with different groundwater collection devices. Coupled streambed point measurements of groundwater age and groundwater seepage rate represent a novel, reproducible, and effective approach to estimating aquifer TTD and MTT

Quantifying the fate of agricultural nitrogen in an unconfined aquifer: Stream-based observations at three measurement scales

We compared three stream-based sampling methods to study the fate of nitrate in groundwater in a coastal plain watershed: point measurements beneath the streambed, seepage blankets (novel seepage-meter design), and reach mass-balance. The methods gave similar mean groundwater seepage rates into the stream (0.3–0.6 m/d) during two 3–4 day field campaigns despite an order of magnitude difference in stream discharge between the campaigns. At low flow, estimates of flowweighted mean nitrate concentrations in groundwater discharge ([NO-3 ]FWM) and nitrate flux from groundwater to the stream decreased with increasing degree of channel influence and measurement scale, i.e., [NO-3 ]FWM was 654, 561, and 451 mM for point, blanket, and reach mass-balance sampling, respectively. At high flow the trend was reversed, likely because reach mass-balance captured inputs from shallow transient high-nitrate flow paths while point and blanket measurements did not. Point sampling may be better suited to estimating aquifer discharge of nitrate, while reach mass-balance reflects full nitrate inputs into the channel (which at high flow may be more than aquifer discharge due to transient flow paths, and at low flow may be less than aquifer discharge due to channel-based nitrate removal). Modeling dissolved N2 from streambed samples suggested (1) about half of groundwater nitrate was denitrified prior to discharge from the aquifer, and (2) both extent of denitrification and initial nitrate concentration in groundwater (700–1300 mM) were related to land use, suggesting these forms of streambed sampling for groundwater can reveal watershed spatial relations relevant to nitrate contamination and fate in the aquifer

Noble gases applied to the study of the pampeano aquifer

La solubilidad de los gases en agua es un proceso que puede ser acotado con un número reducido de variables ambientales. Los gases nobles, por su carácter no reactivo, son trazadores ideales para estudios en aguas subterráneas. Algunos de ellos son radionúclidos o productos de desintegración radiactiva, lo cual les confiere especial interés para la datación. En varias localizaciones en el sudeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires se tomaron muestras para la determinación de gases nobles por espectrometría de masas. Los resultados aportan al conocimiento en diferentes aspectos. Por una parte se ha determinado el componente de exceso de aire que se vincula con las oscilaciones del nivel freático. La temperatura del agua durante la recarga se calculó en un promedio de 13,4°C. La relación 3H/3He permite determinar un gradiente de edades desde 5 a más de 40 años, mientras que las concentraciones de 4He resultan adecuadas como indicador de edades relativas.Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Noble gases applied to the study of the pampeano aquifer

La solubilidad de los gases en agua es un proceso que puede ser acotado con un número reducido de variables ambientales. Los gases nobles, por su carácter no reactivo, son trazadores ideales para estudios en aguas subterráneas. Algunos de ellos son radionúclidos o productos de desintegración radiactiva, lo cual les confiere especial interés para la datación. En varias localizaciones en el sudeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires se tomaron muestras para la determinación de gases nobles por espectrometría de masas. Los resultados aportan al conocimiento en diferentes aspectos. Por una parte se ha determinado el componente de exceso de aire que se vincula con las oscilaciones del nivel freático. La temperatura del agua durante la recarga se calculó en un promedio de 13,4°C. La relación 3H/3He permite determinar un gradiente de edades desde 5 a más de 40 años, mientras que las concentraciones de 4He resultan adecuadas como indicador de edades relativas.Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Noble gases applied to the study of the pampeano aquifer

La solubilidad de los gases en agua es un proceso que puede ser acotado con un número reducido de variables ambientales. Los gases nobles, por su carácter no reactivo, son trazadores ideales para estudios en aguas subterráneas. Algunos de ellos son radionúclidos o productos de desintegración radiactiva, lo cual les confiere especial interés para la datación. En varias localizaciones en el sudeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires se tomaron muestras para la determinación de gases nobles por espectrometría de masas. Los resultados aportan al conocimiento en diferentes aspectos. Por una parte se ha determinado el componente de exceso de aire que se vincula con las oscilaciones del nivel freático. La temperatura del agua durante la recarga se calculó en un promedio de 13,4°C. La relación 3H/3He permite determinar un gradiente de edades desde 5 a más de 40 años, mientras que las concentraciones de 4He resultan adecuadas como indicador de edades relativas.Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Firn Aquifer Study near Helheim Glacier Based on Geophysical Methods and In Situ Measurements

No abstract availabl