Inorganic Ions as Tracers

As water moves into the ground it begins to record information on the history of its recharge source and properties, mainly from rainfall solutes as well as isotopic ratios of the water molecule. The subsurface accepts water at variable rates of movement through the soil, via the unsaturated zone, to the water table. At this stage the groundwater composition undergoes significant modification due to two major processes: an increase in the concentration of atmospheric solutes due to removal of water via plant uptake and evaporation; and reactions between water and rock, leading to the build-up of dissolved substances with different relative ion concentrations to the atmospheric input. The principal and distinctive characteristics of groundwater are mainly established in the unsaturated zone. In the saturated zone the geochemical evolution, though less intense than in the soil and unsaturated zones, follows progressive changes in water quality towards areas of discharge. These processes are time-dependent and the chemical changes as well as isotopic variations may be used to identify this evolution and provide information on water flow paths.