Abstract
Surface- vs. ground-water chemistry in the Heihe River basin, assessed through field sampling of precipitation, surface water and groundwater, allowed geographical zones and chemical types to be differentiated. The geographical zones included: alpine ice-snow (>3,900 m), alpine meadow (3,400–3,900 m), mountain forest and shrub (2,600–3,400 m), mountain grassland (1,900–2,600 m) and desert grassland (1,500–1,900 m). Groundwater chemical types included: (1) mountain fissure and piedmont gravel, bicarbonate, (2) piedmont diluvial, alluvial and lacustrine plain, sulphate, and (3) desert salt-accumulating depression, chloride. Since the 1960s, large volumes of river water diverted for irrigation have been found to re-emerge as spring water at the edge of alluvial fans and then reintegrate the Heihe River. After a number of reuses and re-emergences in the middle reaches, the river’s level of mineralization has doubled. Hydrological changes have resulted in the marked degradation of aquatic habitats, and caused substantial, and expanding, land salinization and desertification. Solving these largely anthropogenic problems requires concerted, massive and long-term efforts.
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This research was supported by a grant from the Hundred Talent Scholar Foundation (2003401), Key Project (KZCX1-09-03) and (KZCX1-10-06) of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and National Nature Sciences Foundation of China (40171007).
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Feng, Q., Liu, W., Su, Y. et al. Distribution and evolution of water chemistry in Heihe River basin. Env Geol 45, 947–956 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0950-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0950-7