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Groundwater circulation and hydrogeochemical evolution in Nomhon of Qaidam Basin, northwest China

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Abstract

In this study, analysis of hydrogeological conditions, as well as hydrochemistry and isotopic tools were used to get an insight into the processes controlling mineralization, recharge conditions, and flow pattern of groundwater in a typical arid alluvial-lacustrine plain in Qaidam Basin, northwest China. Analysis of the dissolved constituents reveals that groundwater evolves from fresh water (TDS =300–1000 mg/l) to saline water (TDS ≥5000 mg/l) along the flow paths, with the water type transiting from HCO 3⋅Cl–Na ⋅Mg to HCO 3⋅Cl–Na, and eventually to Cl–Na. Groundwater chemical evolution is mainly controlled by water–rock interaction and the evaporation–crystallization process. Deuterium and oxygen-18 isotopes in groundwater samples indicate that the recharge of groundwater is happened by meteoric water and glacier melt-water in the Kunlun Mountains, and in three different recharge conditions. Groundwater ages, estimated by the radiogenic (3H and 14C) isotope data, range from present to Holocene (∼28 ka). Based on groundwater residence time, hydrogeochemical characteristics, field investigation, and geological structure distribution, a conceptual groundwater flow pattern affected by uplift structure is proposed, indicating that shallow phreatic water is blocked by the uplift structure and the flow direction is turned to the northwest, while high pressure artesian water is formed in the confined aquifers at the axis of the uplift structure.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2652016022) and the project ‘1:50,000 Hydrogeology Survey in Bayin River & Tataling River Basin of the Qaidam Basin (DD20160291)’ and ‘Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology Survey in the circular economy pilot area of the Qaidam Basin (1212011220974)’ by the China Geological Survey. The authors would like to express their thanks to Xueya Dang at Xi’an Center of Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, for the assistance in the field survey, and Feng Liu and Qichen Hao at Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (IHEG-CAGS). We are grateful to Zongyu Chen at IHEG-CAGS and Xiaomin Gu at China University of Geosciences (Beijing) for the comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yong Xiao, Jingli Shao, Yali Cui & Qiulan Zhang

  2. Xi’an Center of Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Ge Zhang

  3. Key Laboratory of Groundwater and Ecology in Arid and Semi-arid Regions, China Geological Survey, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Jingli Shao & Ge Zhang

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  1. Yong Xiao
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Correspondence to Jingli Shao.

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Corresponding editor: P K Srivastava

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Xiao, Y., Shao, J., Cui, Y. et al. Groundwater circulation and hydrogeochemical evolution in Nomhon of Qaidam Basin, northwest China. J Earth Syst Sci 126, 26 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-017-0800-8

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